Enchantress
by Crown of Venus
Summary: Naruto wakes up one morning in the form of a very beautiful girl under the name of Minako. The past and the present mercilessly collide with Naruto's life as he struggles to find a cure. ManyMina, slight KibaMina and SasuMina but eventual SasuNaru.
1. Good Morning!

Enchantress

Chapter 1 – Good Morning!

**A/N:** I know the story of Naruto all of sudden becoming a girl has been done a million times over but I'M DOING IT THIS TIME! And that's why I should have the honor of doing so. All of my other stories have been Harry Potter fiction but I decided to move on since I still have a hard time thinking of ideas for those 3 stories. I have chapters in the making, they're just not completed.

**Summary:** Everyone is more or less 17. One day, Naruto wakes up and finds himself transformed into a girl. After going on a mission with Sasuke, he develops feelings for her as well as all of the other young bachelors of Konoha and beyond. How will she adapt to the change and what complications will arise because of this?

——†——

The sun was glaring through the thing drapes of Naruto's apartment. As always, he couldn't really afford much in terms of house decorations as most of his money was spent on rent and food – but with the amount he had left, he was still able to spice up his place a little bit. Naruto, begrudgingly got up and headed towards his washroom in need of a hot shower. Now that Sasuke had returned to the village, the original Team 7 was reunited again and all three of them were now Chunins – well Sasuke is also an ANBU member but he's just been recently recruited. This meant harder missions, which in turn meant more money. Naruto was proud to have more money to provide himself with more hot water and slightly more nutritious (and filling) food.

Naruto was lathering and rinsing his troubles away, that is until he decided to soap himself down. He had encountered a little problem…he had a VERY ample chest.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Naruto yanked open the shower curtains and looked at his reflection in a nearby mirror.

"You've GOT to be kidding me!"

Naruto ignored his completely changed voice to take in his 'features'. He saw that his skin had lightened to a peach color. His golden hair flowed down gracefully to the ends of his shoulder blades. His eyes became an icier shade of blue and his trademark 'whiskers' have completely vanished – as if they were never there to begin with. His facial features have gotten softer and his once heard earned muscles had become leaner, further emphasizing his now slender physique. Long story short he had become female…a very beautiful and well proportioned female – completely different from his 'sexy no jutsu' form. This time he looked like an actual girl instead of the female-version of his original self. He groaned and hung his head over the sink.

"Okay Okay…not a big problem right? I'll just find Ka…" The perverted teacher crept into his mind.

"Oh second thought…I'll head over to Old Lady Tsunade. Why did I even think of that lecher in the first place?"

Naruto quickly dried himself off, ignoring the fact that he wasn't able to finish bathing. He tried to search for any clothes in his closet other than his orange and black ninja gi – as not to notify the villagers that it was really him. Much to his surprise, he found a simple light grey long sleeved shirt and a pair of dark blue capris. He didn't really care how he could've found other clothes in his belongings but this was a state of emergency. He gave his hair a quick brush – although it took longer than usual – and headed out the window to Tsunade's office.

——†——

Naruto reached the windows and lightly tapped on them to see if Tsunade had been in yet. To his relief, Shizune was looking through a stack of papers on Tsunade's desk. She looked up towards the sound of the tapping and noticed a pretty young girl in slightly baggy clothing. Shizune opened the window for her and let her in.

"You know, it's customary to enter through doors when you want to meet someone but I guess you're in a hurry. Is there anything I can help you with miss?"

Naruto looked at Shizune with wide eyes. She couldn't recognize him? Well..he couldn't recognize himself either at first but had the change really been that drastic?

"I..uh..I'm here to see Tsunade no…s-sama!" Naruto didn't want anyone to know of his predicament – not Sasuke, not Sakura, not ANYONE. Only Tsunade had that right…as much as he hated to admit it.

"Hmmm…" Shizune looked through a notebook she pulled out from her robe. "She doesn't have any engagements scheduled right now. I'll see if I can grab her for a quick meeting with you, but I will advise you to book an appointment prior to the date ok?" she smiled.

"I know it's more than short notice but this is an emergency!"

"Really? Well, I'll see if I can find her. What is your name might I ask? So Tsunade-sama knows who it is she will be talking to."

_CRAP!_ "I…um…" Naruto became bright red. He didn't think of an alias. All of the girl names and last names he could think of were popping into his head a mile a minute.

Shizune was confused. "Surely you must know your name right? Unless that's the emergency."

"NO! NO!...um…my name is…is…" _ANYTHING WILL DO!_ "H-on-nda Mi-n-na-ko!" **(1)**

"Alright Minako-chan. I will be right back with Tsunade-sama. Please have a seat while you wait."

Naruto flopped down on one of the seats in front of Tsunade's desk and let out a huge sigh. _Thank goodness I have music at home. I never would've thought this name if it wasn't for my purchases…and Sasuke said I was an idiot for buying them. _

"YOU CAN EAT YOUR WORDS NOW YOU BASTARD!"

"I beg your pardon?"

Naruto froze. Had he said that last part out loud? He could've sworn it was a mental yell.

"Um…I…"

"I will assume that your last comment was directed towards somebody else instead of me for your sake." Tsunade made her way to her desk and stood next to it, carefully looking over the strange girl.

"Now…my assistant has informed me that you required my presence. An 'emergency' as you have put it."

"Y-yes…Tsunade no-….sama…" Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the girl's corrected speech but didn't press on.

"Um…if you don't mind. Can we have this in private?"

Tsunade nodded. "Shizune. Head on over to the Konoha Hospital. They're in need of assistance there."

"Hai!" Shizune vanished.

"As requested…" Tsunade walked over to her chair and sat down. "Now…this emergency you speak of…"

"It's me Tsunade-no-baachan…" Naruto whispered as he was a little paranoid that there might be an eavesdropper or two.

"If you've come here to insult me then you've got another thing–"

"TSUNADE – NO – BAACHAN! It's ME! LOOK!" Naruto whipped out the necklace.

Tsunade's eyes widened like no other. "N-naruto! What the…How?...WHAT!"

"Let me explain this to you in as little words as possible. I woke up like this! I didn't eat anything strange last night, I didn't tamper with anything I wasn't supposed to touch, I didn't piss off Sakura or Ino, NOTHING!"

"So…you just woke up like this? And then…"

Tsunade and Naruto talked for sometime. Naruto kept recalling everything he had done the night before as well as any major places he had gone recently. They tried to think of any logical explanation as to how Naruto's sudden gender change might have occurred. He kept explaining to Tsunade that it definitely wasn't his Sexy no jutsu gone wrong because he looks different in that form compared to now. Since it was his own technique he was clearly able to pick out the differences between both forms. The both of them tried a few ways to get Naruto to revert back to his original self but all proved to be failures.

"So you've chosen to go under an alias known as Honda Minako?"

"Yeah…"

"I'm impressed…to think YOU could devise such an original name and yet you're unable to follow instructions correctly?" Tsunade playfully added.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

"Oh…but it is. For me anyway! Now…you plan on keeping that alias until we can find a way to reverse what has been done right?"

"Yeah. As of the moment, it seems permanent. But the both us don't know what might have caused this so it's hard to say how long it will last or how it will affect me in the long run."

"Well…there's not much we can do now. I'll see if I can find an outfit for you to better suit your current physique"

"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed now!" Tsunade scanned Naruto's attire.

"Although they may not be your usual outfit, it's clearly not the way a ninja should dress. They're too baggy and loose. If anything, you'll be spending too much time falling on your face, ripping or tearing it, and finding yourself in uncomfortable positions should the pants decide to fall off." Tsunade was hoping that Naruto would've gotten that last statement.

"FINE!"

"Furthermore, you will continue being Sasuke's regular team-mate. I will make up some excuse for your absence and hopefully he – as well as others affiliated with you – will buy it. In the mean time, you will be referred to as one of my recent students. Sakura might be a little bit harder to convince as both her and Shizune have been my only pupils so far but play along with it. I will do what I can to in the convincing process. Make up a story about your life and stay consistent with it. Report every single fact and event that comes out of your mouth regarding 'Minako's life story'. Finally train as hard as you can to devise new jutsus for you to use. Using your techniques such as the Kage Bunshin and the Rasengan are a dead giveaway. We don't want any plot holes that might encourage questioning. "

"B-but –"

"But NOTHING! This is what we're given and this is what we will do with it!" Naruto made a pout but Tsunade kept on going.

"Now come with me. The first thing we need to do is to get you used to your new body. We'll start off with your clothing. We will head for a few shops and hopefully it won't take us too long as both you and Sasuke have a mission in about a few hours."

_CRAP! The mission!...Dammit…Sasuke will probably be the hardest to convince. What if he finds out?_

——†——

Unfortunately, the shopping trip took much time longer than she thought. Although Naruto was able to have a suitable outfit, it wouldn't have taken so long if he wasn't so picky about the color. Next came choosing a bra and a pair of undergarments for him. That was even more frustrating. Naruto had become a girl after all and since he was 16, he needed 'support' for lack of a better word. Finally, Tsunade decided to teach Naruto about feminine hygiene. Let's just say that it involved a lot of yelling.

Although embarrassed a hundred times over, Naruto was happy with the outfit the most. It was a sleeveless, orange, button up top (at the back) with four golden zip-up pockets (2 across the chest and 2 in the usual place). The shorts were also orange, just ending at about mid thigh where the shuriken holster on his left leg just ended at the hem. The footwear was your standard black ninja shoes but they reached up to the knee caps, exposed the heel and had a white shin-guard over it. Protecting his elbows were a pair of black elbow pads. As an extra accessory, the top had two large yellow ribbons along the sides of the outfit (a bit beneath the arm pit) that were to be tied behind at the back to further keep the top from opening – the tied ribbons went a little bit passed his waist. Finally, his long golden hair was placed up in a high ponytail with the use of a simple piece of black ribbon. **(2)**

The outfit itself wasn't all that bad. Naruto actually thought that he looked pretty damn good as a girl. Strangely enough though, with his hair up in a ponytail and the style of his outfit, Naruto could have sworn that he was looking directly into the face his old Academy classmate Yamanaka Ino. He smirked at the thought of Sakura having a slight hissy fit at the thought of Ino doing a mission alone with Sasuke. Even though Sakura had matured a lot over the years, the girl could still be a frightening force when she was peeved.

——†——

Both Tsunade and Naruto headed for his and Sasuke's meeting place as Tsunade had been informed not too long ago. According to Minako's pocket watch, they were only 15 minutes late, which wasn't too tardy. As usual, the dark-haired Uchiha was patiently waiting at their usual spot with his arms carelessly crossed over his chest. _Will there ever be a day when he's NOT on time?_ Naruto mentally chastised.

Sasuke looked up in surprise when he saw the Hokage escorting a girl that he had never seen before in his direction.

"Good Morning Sasuke. I hope you weren't waiting too long were you?"

"No Hokage-sama, not at all. Where's Naruto?"

"That's what I've come here to tell you. As you have noticed, Naruto isn't going to be attending you today, or for quite some time to be honest. He is on a special solo mission for me as a liaison between Konoha's hospital and the small medical centers in the Fire Country's neighboring villages. It is uncertain of how long his mission will take but he will return to the village eventually. In the mean time, I'd like to introduce you to his replacement. She is a recently accepted student of mine who had just started working under me a few days ago. I'd like you to meet Honda Minako."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the new girl. Although having no recollection of seeing her at the ninja academy while they were younger, he decided that would be something he would have to bring up later. She seemed like any other girl and frankly Sasuke wasn't too pleased.

"Now Minako, as explained to you before, your time with me will have to be cut short because you will be a temporary replacement for Naruto. Once he has returned, we can resume our lessons."

Naruto nodded at Tsunade's explanation. _She's good…oh wait! Respond. Respond!_

"Hai Tsunade-sama. Wish me luck!"

Tsunade smirked. _Let's hope this doesn't fall to pieces like it normally does_.

"Now, I must return to my previous engagements. See you later you two. And please be careful. Though you may be a recently recruited ANBU member Sasuke and you a Chunin Minako, your mission is still a dangerous one."

"We will, bye Tsunade-sama!" Naruto gave his salutations to Tsunade and Sasuke waved her good bye. _This girl is a Chunin?_

As Tsunade walked away, Naruto turned to face Sasuke. It wasn't going to be easy. He would have to wing it from now on but he thought of this as excellent mental training. If he can pull off being a girl – in front of Sasuke no less – for as long as he can, then there was literally NOTHING he couldn't do.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was still having thoughts about the new girl.

_Hmm…there's something odd about this new girl. It can't be just a coincidence that the dobe is all of sudden off on a solo mission without informing me and this new girl replacing him in the same day. Surely Sakura would've mentioned if Tsunade had a new student. I thought she was the only one. Something seems out of place here…and I plan on figuring it out_

Sasuke was looking at Naruto apprehensively as if he was studying him. Naruto was getting a little nervous but most of his time was spent thinking of his life story as Minako. This was going to be both long and painful.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** R&R guys! I'll post up chapter two after I get around 10 reviews!

**(1)** This is actually a sort of double pun so to speak. For the first (and somewhat obvious part) I got the name 'Minako' from Aino Minako of Sailor Moon. Naruto reminded me so much of Minako (their choice of outfit colors, eyes, hair, personalities etc.) so I just HAD to do it! As for the surname, 'Minako's' full name as a whole is actually the name of a popular J-pop singer of the stage name Honda Minako (_real name:_ Kudo Minako). I intentionally chose the surname 'Honda' (subsequently pairing up nicely with the first name) for my story as a sort of tribute to the real Honda Minako who died of leukemia in 2005 at only 38 years old, cutting her bright J-pop career tragically short. Rest in Peace Minako-san!

**(2)** Essentially, try to picture Ino's outfit from the Naruto II Arc. I tried to use her outfit as a template for Minako's outfit. As for Sasuke, imagine him in a very sexy sleeveless black outfit but with the ANBU breastplate.


	2. A Test of Worthiness

Enchantress

Chapter 2 – A Test of Worthiness

**A/N:** Holy crap! 16 reviews in not even 24 hours? That's like a world record compared to my other stories! I'm soooo loved! You all deserve this second chapter!

——†——

The silence between the two was unnerving.

_Come on you bastard say something! Anything! The silence is making me believe that you've already figured me out! MOVE! DO SOMETHING OTHER THAN BREATHING!_

"Minako…" Sasuke answered in a very dark tone.

_Eep…_

"Before we begin this mission I'd like to test out your abilities on my own. Since you ARE Naruto's replacement, you will have to be up to par with him before you can even think about teaming up with me. I don't care if you're a girl or the Hokage's newest student. You will have to prove yourself worthy of being my team-mate regardless from the Hokage's orders or not."

_Still an ass, even to strangers huh? Guess it can't be helped._

"So…unwilling to work with others unless they're up to your standards? I never knew you valued your old team-mate so highly. You must be the picky type aren't ya?" Minako made a sly smile as Sasuke's right eye twitched.

"But in response to your request, I NEVER refuse a challenge. You maybe an Uchiha AND an ANBU, but even the mightiest of warriors can still fall from grace. I hardly believe that someone such as yourself would ever hold back under no circumstances am I right? You'd better get that stick out of your ass oh 'one-ness' because this is one person you're gonna wish you wanted to play nice with!"

_She's cocky…_ "Over there" Sasuke pointed to a field in the distance still inside the village's borders. "There's plenty of room for us to move around and we won't cause damage to anyone or the buildings."

"Darn…and I wanted others to witness your defeat at my hands" Minako vanished before Sasuke had the chance to respond.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at that last remark but sped off towards their 'training ground'.

——†——

When both ninjas got there, they stood a few meters apart from one another staring at their opponent. The summer breeze blew by further increasing the tension between the two warriors.

"As requested, I will give it my all…therefore it's a free-for-all. Obviously nothing fatal. Just enough to wear the other person out."

"Enough talk!" both fighters took their battle stances.

Out of no where, Sasuke completely disappeared from sight. Minako closed her eyes to become in tune with only her sense of hearing. _THERE!_ Minako raised a knee up and blocked Sasuke's kick. Sasuke was of course surprised. It was Minako's turn to vanish as she immediately appeared behind Sasuke and wrapped her arms around his waist performing a suplex on him. When Sasuke's neck hit the ground, he turned into a log.

_Typical…_ Minako flipped her legs up and pushed herself away to avoid the three shuriken aimed at her torso. Naruto was surprised at how light and flexible his new body had become. Normally he wouldn't be able to move around with such ease because of his slightly bulkier mass as a boy. He smirked. _With a body such as this…this is a guaranteed win! Get ready to eat dirt you smug-faced jackass..._

Sasuke appeared behind her and aimed a punch for her head. Minako moved her head out of the way just in time and grabbed Sasuke's arm, throwing him over her shoulder. _HA!_ Sasuke easily flipped and landed safely.

Sasuke tossed three more shuriken at Minako but somehow it seemed like Minako read his mind and threw three kunai daggers at him. Two pairs negated each other but the middle ones went passed each other. Sasuke jumped back to avoid the kunai where as Minako got hit in the shoulder. Minako of course turned into a log.

_Not bad for sparring…_ Sasuke almost didn't notice the exploding tag on Minako's shuriken. _Shimatta!_ Sasuke leaped high into the air as the weapon beneath him exploded.

"NINPOU: KUSARIKIN NO JUTSU!" **(1)**

Sasuke turned his head towards the sound of Minako's voice only to have a golden chain made of chakra wrap around his ankle. _What the…?_ Minako smirked from her place on the ground and yanked down on the chain as hard as she could.

"AHH!"

Sasuke was heading for the ground, back first. "KATON: RYUUKA NO JUTSU!" **(2)** Not only had his jutsu propelled him backwards to change the direction of his fall but he was able to use Minako's chakra chain as a pathway for the inferno.

_SHOOT!_ Minako dispelled the chain around her wrist and dive rolled away leaving the incoming fire to blast the ground where she stood. She took her battle stance as Sasuke flipped to safety and took his stance as well. He smirked.

"Not bad at all…you have potential…but let's see how you fare when the difficulty has been raised!"

Minako was panting but a smirk appeared on her face as well. "Just as I said, give it your all. Anything you throw at me, I'll counter it right back!"

Both fighters rushed towards each other with closed fists. The battle was intense.

——†——

From the bushes nearby, four sets of eyes were spying on the two fighters.

"Wow! Who is that hot blonde duking it out with Sasuke. She's like beating the crap out of him!"

"Woof!"

"She does have a certain radiance about her…and it seems as though Sasuke is putting some actual effort in his fight…remind me again why we had to follow you two? You can be so troublesome."

"Because we wanted to wish Sasuke and Naruto good luck on their mission you lazy-ass bum! But since there's some random girl with him instead of Naruto, it has become my utmost duty to find out who she is!"

"Lower your voice Ino! They might hear us! Plus I can't hear what they're saying!"

"Don't blame me! Shika just can't seem to grasp simple concepts. He maybe a 'genius' but he still lacks intelligence in the common sense department!"

"Sure…let's stick with that."

"Quit squawking! Even Akamaru is quieter than you two and he's 3 times your size!"

"Shh…it's still going…"

——†——

Both fighters were panting as light patches of dirt marked their clothing. Still not wanting to give up until the other gave in.

"You're…pretty…good…for…a…cocky…bastard…"

"You're not so bad yourself…you really aren't as useless as you look."

Sasuke whipped out his Wakizashi and charged towards the girl. HAA!

Minako's eyes widened. _You ass!_ Minako reached behind her back and whipped out the chakrams that were strapped there and dispelled the protective leather cover around the blades. Tsunade had bought them for her while they were shopping and recalled what she said about them.

"_Since you're going to be changing your fighting style I thought these might come in handy."_

"_What are those?" Minako eyed the two large yellow rings with a crescent shaped blade at the opposite end of the handle. __**(3)**_

"_These are chakrams. Despite their slightly plain appearance, they are a very versatile weapon and can be used for both offence and defence, short-range or mid-range combat. Offensively they can be utilized as an extension of your fist for hand-to-hand combat or as suitable projectiles from a distance when thrown. Defensively, unlike most weapons, their ring shape – when crossed over each other – can block physical attacks such as punches and kicks due to their larger surface area. It can also be used to trap hand-held enemy weapons such as swords and spears. It's not as useless as you think…just like you." Tsunade smirked._

"_HEY!"_

Despite the chakrams' fairly large blade, it wasn't really all that big nor was weighty. Before she could think anymore, she saw Sasuke thrust his sword at her gut. Acting in instinct, she crossed the two rings together and ducked, successfully trapping Sasuke's blade and avoiding contact with it. Sasuke smirked as he kicked the closed rings pushing Minako down and freeing his sword. Minako stumbled a bit on the ground but she quickly got up and back flipped away.

Sasuke didn't move from his spot as he blew some fire on to his wakizashi. He brought it around his face and made a horizontal crescent-shaped slash in front of him sending out a wide fiery crescent moon at Minako. "KENJUTSU: HIGETSUSEN!" **(4)**

Minako blocked with her chakrams again but the attack was too strong as it flung her backwards with a lot of force. Her back hit a nearby tree while getting a few burns and slashes on her fingers and forearms from Sasuke's attack. The chakrams that she tightly held on to flew out of her hands and down to the ground. Minako hunched herself against the tree in pain trying to stand up. She saw Sasuke slowly walking towards her.

"You put up an impressive fight. I'm surprised you were able to last so long against me."

Minako growled and chucked three kunai at Sasuke but he easily deflected them with his sword. She continued to struggle to stand up and began to perform a few hand seals. _If I learned anything from spying on Kurenai-sensei while she was training with Asuma-sensei, then this is going to take Sasuke down!_

"Just give up now. No matter what you try, the battle is over. You're too exhausted and injured to go on."

"I..it's not over…until I say so!"

_She's so stubborn._

She performed the final hand seal "Genjutsu: Touya Fubuki!" **(5)** Minako disappeared into a whirl of peach blossom petals.

"Huh?"

Sasuke noticed that when the petals appeared, they remained suspended in mid-air as if someone stopped time. He sensed Minako's presence but it was moving at an impressive speed. He saw her appear near one of her chakrams as she picked it up. She disappeared and reappeared again at the other one grabbing it as well – leaving more petals upon her disappearance. She appeared one final time into the air and threw both of her chakrams at Sasuke flying towards him in an X-shaped arc.

"HA!"

Sasuke made a small chuckle he vanished and appeared behind Minako, causing the flying chakrams to imbed themselves into the ground. Sasuke kicked Minako in the back causing her to cough up blood and fall towards the ground fast. UGH! She landed heavily onto the dirt below causing a cloud of dust to appear around her. Sasuke landed right next to her body and looked down at her.

"Look…I didn't mean to press on this far. I'll request the Hokage to deal with your injuries and to postpone the mission till tomorrow. I must say…you are quite the impressive–"

Minako's body disappeared in a cloud of smoke only to reveal a wooden log and an exploding tag attached to it.

"WHAT THE!"

Sasuke back flipped away but the impact of the explosion pushed him back a little. Out of nowhere he heard something.

"HHHAAAAAAAAAA!"

Minako landed a heavy jump kick into Sasuke's stomach causing him to skid across the ground near the area to where the bulk of the petals were.

"YOU'RE MINE!"

Minako performed one final set of seals.

"NINPOU: TOUYA FUBUKI – NATSUMAI!" **(6)**

Sasuke struggled to stand up as he saw the all of the orange petals begin to swirl around him at a fast pace. He didn't have much time to react as the nearby petals began to cut him in numerous places across his body as if they were made of metal.

"HA!" Minako threw one more kunai dagger with an exploding tag near Sasuke's feet as the petals disappeared from sight.

"K-KUSO!" The dagger exploded causing a few nearby trees to incinerate and Sasuke's body to land on the ground with a heavy thud. Minako celebrated her victory inside her head.

"Victory…is…mine…" She collapsed to the ground exhausted from the battle. Little did she know that Sasuke approached her fallen form and knelt down beside her. He actually gave a little smile.

"Very impressive…" He looked at his clone nearby and watched it transform into a wooden log. "It seems as though I've met someone other than Naruto who can put up a worthy fight." Sasuke picked up Minako in his arms and held her up bridal-style. "You deserve a good rest…we will begin our mission tomorrow…as a team…" Sasuke vanished with the girl in his arms, heading towards the Konoha hospital.

——†——

"Sa-sa-sasuke-k-kun…was almost defeated…by a girl…?"

Kiba, Shikamaru, and Akamaru awaited the screaming…miraculously, it never arrived.

"That girl…how could she manage to fight Sasuke and still manage to last that long?"

"Not to mention she used a few jutsus that I thought only Kurenai-sensei could use. I wonder how and where or whom did she learn them from?"

"Whatever the reason is…we have born witness to a girl who can fight Uchiha head on without losing in 2 minutes." Shikamaru blushed when he thought of the girl. She looked like Ino but she somehow seemed…prettier…good thing this wasn't said out loud.

"Shikamaru…what are you thinking?" Ino asked in a very disgustingly sweet voice.

"About that girl…why do you ask?"

"Uh oh…I think you made someone jealous Shika…"

"Woof!"

Despite the other three talking away, Sakura had a few thoughts on her mind.

_That girl…Sasuke acknowledged her as a strong ninja…he…actually became a bit serious while fighting her…although she lost…it seemed as though Sasuke was almost willing to admit defeat…no one has made Sasuke act that way…no one…except Naruto…could Sasuke have found a girl that's right for him?...could she be the one to actually be worthy of Sasuke's time? _

Caught up in her thoughts…Sakura had almost forgotten that Naruto was away on a solo mission

TBC

——†——

**A/N: **There you go chapter 2! Expect chapter 3 to appear a bit later as I will be a little bit on the busy side tomorrow. I will comment all reviews except for flames. Those people will be dealt with personally.

**(1)** Ninpou: Kusarikin no Jutsu (_Ninja Art: Chain of Gold Technique_). My own made up jutsu. For those of you who didn't realize where I got my inspiration from…let me provide you with a little visual. VENUS! LOVE-ME CHAIN!

**(2)** Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu (_Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique_). Masashi Kishimoto's original Naruto jutsu for the character, Uchiha Sasuke.

**(3)** Still confused about what the chakram's look like? From the video game Dynasty Warriors, look up Sun Shang Xiang's weapon "Luna Chakram" from DW4. Also known as the "Sol Chakram" in DW3. They're the same weapons just different name. And imagine it to be just a little bit smaller.

**(4)** Kenjutsu: Higetsusen (_Sword Technique: Whirling Fire Moon_). My own made up jutsu.

**(5)** Genjutsu: Touya Fubuki (_Illusion: Peach Blossom Blizzard_). My own made up jutsu.

**(6)** Ninpou: Touya Fubuki – Natsumai (_Ninja Art: Peach Blossom Blizzard – Dance of the Summer_). My own made up jutsu. A follow-up technique to the previous one.


	3. The Mission: Travel

Enchantress

Chapter 3 – The Mission – Travel

**A/N:** WOW! So many reviews! I can't believe so many of you find this story worthy of being reviewed! (Begins to cry a bit)…I'd like to thank God, my mama, papa, Ryan, my husband I love you, my precious little angels Deacon and Ava I love you so much! – FYI, my impression of Reese Witherspoon. I LOVE REESE WITHERSPOON! I also apologize for the late chapter. It's also slightly filler…PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!

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Minako felt the summer breeze flowing through her hair with her cheek pressed up against something hard and slightly warm. At first she thought she was lying down on a comfortable bed but she only felt pressure from behind her knees and behind her shoulder blades. Basically the middle section of her body was dipped as if it were in a hammock. _This…this is nice…_She slowly opened her icy blue eyes and noticed the white, padded breastplate of Sasuke's armor. She was being carried.

"Sasuke…?" Sasuke looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Oh…you're up…" Minako blushed a little bit at the fact that Sasuke was carrying her. She didn't really understand why.

"Um…do you mind putting me down?"

"You sure you're ok to walk?"

"Um…yeah. I'm not really all that tired so there's really no point in continuing to carry me any further." Sasuke nodded and gently eased the girl down.

"I was about to take you to the hospital to get your wounds tended to as well as to give your body a rest. But it seems as though you don't need it. I assumed you would since you passed out during our match. It technically wasn't over since I was still standing but I guess your body just gave out."

"I passed out?" Minako held a hand to her head. _Yeah…I did…but I don't think it was because I was tired. Sure the battle was intense and I was getting a little bit tired but not to the point of exhaustion that would lead me to faint._

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the girl. _She can't remember?_

"Well…um..l-let's just forget about this for now and talk about it some other time ok?" _Better to talk about it later when I can actually find out the reason as to why myself. Maybe Tsunade-no-baachan could figure out what happened after I explain it to her_. "After all, we have a mission to attend to and because of your little 'test' we've been held back for…" Minako looked at her pocket watch "AN HOUR AND A HALF!"

Sasuke still remained as indifferent as ever. "It was necessary so see if you were able to become my team-mate. It was also a little critique session as to what you were capable of. It turns out, you're pretty good. It's been a while since I've had a good spar."

_You're off the hook now, but I will find out who you really are. There's something about you that I can't put my finger on. As much as I don't wish to admit it, you're the first girl who I've actually had to strategize against in a fight. Interesting indeed._

"Besides, an hour and a half is not a lot of wasted time considering the distance between Konoha and Iwa. What I had planned for Naruto and me was for the both of us to reach the nearest Earth Country village from the border by around 9 pm. If I include the hour and a half we spent fighting each other, it will be a bit late, but it's nothing we can't handle. The next morning, it's straight to Iwagakure. There we will wait until night fall to execute our mission. It may be far, but it's not impossible…do you think you can keep up?"

Minako got a little peeved. "What are you saying? Are you implying that I still can't hold up to your standards just because I'm not Naruto? I got through your little test even though I blacked out for some unknown reason. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

_For crying out loud…_ "I was implying that after your 'black out' as you put it, you might have wanted our pace to be slowed down. I thought you collapsed from overexerting yourself but now that it wasn't the case, we can continue on without any further delay."

"Oh…well…FINE! But give me just a few more minutes. Thanks to you, my arms have been slashed and my outfit has been burned in numerous places."

"I was just about to suggest for a change in your attire. The colors are far too bright. You're too noticeable and you stand out too much. You're going to cause this mission to fail if we get intercepted at every corner because of your outfit."

"I…well…you!" Minako glared at Sasuke "You're walking on thin ice…" Minako stomped away in the direction of Tsunade's office. Then she noticed something. "Wait! Where are my–"

"I've got them here" Sasuke motioned with his thumb that Minako's weapons were strapped on to his back. "Now get going"

"Argh!" Minako vanished.

Sigh… _She's exactly like Naruto, far too stubborn to listen to simple instructions and the eagerness to fight till the bitter end. Her fondness for the color orange is uncanny. I have a hunch…but not until I have the right amount of evidence to convict her. If she actually IS Naruto in disguise…this mission will get VERY interesting. _Sasuke grinned .

——†——

About five minutes later, Minako came dashing back towards Sasuke's direction. When Sasuke saw her speeding across the building roofs, he activated his Sharingan on her. Much to his surprise, Minako was not Naruto in disguise. She was her own person. Even though the evidence was there in front of him, he still has his suspicions about her.

Minako landed in front of Sasuke with a much more appropriate outfit. Although the design was practically identical to the old one, the shorts, elbow pads, shoes and her top were all black. The large ribbons behind her back as well as her shin guards were an off-white color – similar to an ANBU member's armor. Aside from the color being an obvious difference, the top had a hood, and covered only half of her upper body – much like Ino's outfit. Underneath her half-top was a simple off-white sleeveless leotard that mainly functioned to cover her mid-drift. Secured around her waist was her black Konoha Academy headband. Although Sasuke didn't really bother with minor details, he noticed that now the both of them were wearing the same colors.

"That's much better. Although the ribbons might be a little bit light, the rest of your outfit will allow you to blend in with your environment MUCH easier, day or night but most especially night." Sasuke grabbed Minako's chakrams from behind him and handed them to her. "Here…now we can actually begin our mission."

"Finally! We would've saved our lost time if it wasn't for your 'little test'. Are you certain it was for our benefit to work as a compatible team? Are you sure it wasn't an ego problem instead?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as the two of them darted off out of the village and towards the Earth Country.

——†——

As Sasuke predicted, the two were made it to their destination but a little bit earlier than planned – about half an hour earlier than planned. The closest village from the Fire/Earth Countries' border was only 27 km inwards. The both of them did stop for two half an hour breaks to give their feet a rest from the constant traveling. Unlike his usual missions with Naruto, this one with Minako occurred in complete silence. Neither one of them struck a conversation with the other during the trip – unless you count the momentary 'wanna take a break?' question. Sasuke found this a little bit strange considering when they first met they couldn't get out of each other's faces. But this IS a mission and so it wasn't necessarily a problem.

Both ninjas finished setting up their tents while Minako agreed to start a fire and Sasuke agreed to catch some fish for a late supper. Minako was gazing into the flames with her knees pulled up to her chest as she waited for Sasuke. She spent a lot of the silent travel time thinking of her life story, but her thoughts on her gender change continued to haunt her mind. She closed her eyes and emptied all other thoughts, focusing on the enigmatic life form that resides within her.

_Kyuubi?...are you there?_

**Yes…**

_Kyuubi…we haven't really been on 'nice' terms so to speak…but I have a question that I need you to answer for me._

**Such guts…you actually believe that I would humble myself down to answer a human let alone the one who's body is my prison!**

_This is urgent you arrogant mutt! It's not like I've asked for your 'wisdom' on a daily basis or anything! Just listen to what I have to say even if you don't want to answer it!_

…

_This morning…I woke up in this body…a female's body. My appearance has completely altered although I still have a few minor similarities to my original self. The change has been so drastic that the few people who I've come in contact to didn't even recognize me – and they are the ones who are the closest to me. At first I thought it was my Sexy no jutsu gone wrong but I've tried reverting back only to have nothing happen. I've only asked Tsunade-no-baachan for help on anything that could define both the cause and a possible remedy for my problem, but she was stumped for ideas. I could ask Kakashi-sensei and the perverted hermit – much to my disdain – for help on this too but if they can't find anything wrong with me either then who am I supposed to turn to? You're the only one who I can ask for help at the moment so…do you have any idea of what has happened to me?_

"Sorry I'm late a few of the ones I caught earlier we're still small fries so I waited until I got the adults." Sasuke came back with two very large fish.

Minako jumped out of her thoughts and looked at the Uchiha. "Oh wow…they're huge! They must have been a little hard to catch considering their size."

"A bit…but at least we still won't be hungry once we're finished." Sasuke skewered the trout with a few sharp branches that he carved out before catching their meal and set them down on the fire.

As the fish were cooking, Sasuke broke the ice. "So Minako. Since the Hokage has chosen you as Naruto's substitute, I'm guessing she's informed you of our mission objectives?" Minako still waited the response from the Kyuubi and didn't hear Sasuke's question. Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Huh?...what?"

"I asked you if you knew what our mission was about prior to teaming up with me. Are you feeling alright?"

"Y-yeah. Yeah I am…sorry. Just have a few issues on my mind. But yeah…Tsunade-sama has told me what it's about. We're on a recovery mission right? She didn't get into specifics as this whole ordeal with me and Naruto was sort of a last minute decision. If you don't mind, could you give me a good detailed description of it? Just so I have a little bit of background knowledge as well." Although Minako lied, she had to make her acting as convincing as possible. She mentally smirked…_I am SO good at this!_

"Sure thing. An old mafia group in the Earth Country has somehow acquired a set of medical scrolls with highly praised information regarding chakra-based operational surgery. Although it seems a bit strange as to how they could benefit from medical knowledge, rumour has it that they have been linked to cases regarding innocent civilians who have woken up one morning only to feel lot worse than the day before. As the days progressed, no matter what medication or treatment they may have been prescribed with, their condition worsened and worsened until they eventually succumbed to death. Their autopsies had shown that their deaths weren't caused by a disease, wound, or harmful substance but from the result of an organ that had been completely removed from their body. There have been cases of a missing heart which obviously resulted in an instant death. Very few have survived but only to live with a missing eye, tongue, kidney or even parts of a limb such as the toes and the fingers."

"Disgusting…just…plain…disgusting…" Even though she knew about the mission, she still cringed at the gruesome details.

"The major hidden villages of the world these days pay large sums of money for organs used for transplanting surgery so it comes to no surprise as to what happens to the missing body parts. Higher sums are given to the professionals who can perform such operations and other surgical procedures – which also sparked the rumor that the mafia maybe performing illegal operations right under the village's very nose."

Minako was eating some of her freshly cooked fish while continuing to listen in interest.

"The Hokage wants us to not only investigate the rumors but to also retrieve the scrolls for her. I'm sure she has her reasons for it. The leader of the mafia, Takatori Reiji **(1)** has been known for his merciless band of shinobi followers as well as his philosophy on rising to power through fear and destruction. No one has ever located his headquarters but thanks to the spies the Hokage has sent prior to the mission, they have narrowed the Earth Country down to a small area northeast of Iwagakure.

The added bonus that the Hokage has given to us on this mission is the bounty she placed on Takatori's head for his capture. She made an agreement with the Earth Country's Tsuchikage indicating that he would get Takatori while she would get the scrolls along with additional reward money from Iwagakure for apprehending one of their most wanted criminals. I'm not sure if she has mentioned that extra little bit to you as she told me earlier this morning. This is most likely an A-rank mission than the supposed B-rank mission she had initially informed you for it to be. Don't worry, she wouldn't have sent you on this mission unless a qualified Jounin or ANBU member was accompanying you. We won't be alone on this either. There is a small inn, inside Iwagakure that is also our rendezvous point with the 5 spies she dispatched to the village 2 weeks ago."

Minako's heart got raced a little. At first it she thought it was just going to be another B/C-rank mission which were always boring but not to the extent of D-rank missions. But now, the new and sudden details of the 'revised' mission objectives, giving it an A-rank had gotten her blood boiled. _This is mission is going to be better than I thought._

Sasuke noticed the girl's strange smile. _She even acts like him too. Naruto's been dying to go on an A-rank mission ever since the mission in the Water Country with Zabuza and Haku. Idiot…he should know that that privilege is only given to Jounin or higher. Again their similar behaviors could be just a coincidence, but for some reason…I don't think that's the case._

"Anyway…that's as detailed as I can get about our mission." Sasuke began to eat his fish as well.

"Well at least I fully know what we're up against. Thanks Sasuke." _Thank you indeed. Now I'm more than eager to complete this mission!_

Sasuke nodded as he continued with his fish. The both of them ate in silence as the crickets chirped into the night air.

——†——

When the two of them finished, Sasuke extinguished the fire and headed for his tent.

"We will wake up at around 7 am tomorrow. According to the map, it's around another 120 km northwest from our current destination. We should be able to get to the hidden village by the early afternoon. From there we will head for the rendezvous point and inform the Konoha spies of our arrival."

Minako nodded. "Well…goodnight Sasuke."

"Good night…"

Minako got into her tent and removed her ninja wear, sleeping in only a plain dark blue t-shirt and matching shorts. She lay her head down on her sleeping bag and rested her arms up behind her head.

"Well…day one is almost over. And so far nothing has really gone wrong." It was silent for a bit until her thoughts began to speak.

_I'm still waiting for an answer Kyuubi._

**Don't interrupt me human. But if you require an answer, maybe I have it and maybe I don't. That is all I will give you.**

_That's the most useless thing I've ever heard! Why won't you just simply tell me? We've known each other for 16 years and you ain't coming out of me anytime soon so SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE AND TELL ME!_

…

_You arrogant piece of…!_

**You better not provoke me human…you maybe my prison but we still share the same body. Just as you have access to my power, I have access to your heart. You wouldn't want me to do something impulsive now would you?**

_W-what do you mean?..._

**Don't be stupid…I know you inner most desire. And it is not to become the Hokage of that cursed village.**

Minako gulped.

**Good…you understand. Taunt me again human and I can easily take control of your body and fulfill your deepest lust filled desire…I'm sure HE wouldn't appreciate it if you just waltzed right into his tent and 'did a few things' right?**

Minako trembled a bit._ OK! Ok…I won't do it again. Just please…I…I don't want to lose him…even if we can't be anything more than friends…I can't have him taken away from me…not again…_

**You're starting to use your head…as for your predicament…I have an answer…but it could be the wrong one…who knows? Maybe I do, or maybe I don't. That's how it will stay.**

_You certainly live up to your reputation for aggravating people and playing mind tricks with them to no end._

**All in due time…**

Minako decided to stop thinking because she wouldn't be able to get another ounce of sleep if this continued. She looked to her left and saw her utility pouch.

_Maybe there's something I can amuse myself with to get me to sleep_.

Sure enough, her hands touched a scroll - a light green scroll with Konoha's seal on it to be precise. She practically forgot it was in there.

_Naru…er…Minako. Take this with you. I will not explain to you what it is as the material should be self explanatory once you open it. Plus, it will help emphasize a few things._

"So…you old bat, what's this little present about?"

Minako ripped the seal and gently opened the scroll. Its writings contained the basic knowledge of becoming a medic-nin. The first few sections went into detail about using chakra to heal and mend open wounds. She was certainly surprised that the old hag would give her something like this but then it finally kicked.

…_She is a recently accepted student of mine who had just started working under me a few days ago…_

"Figures…how can you call yourself one of her students if you can't apply anything that she's supposedly taught you?"

Minako began to read the scroll and only focused on the sections describing chakra healing. Surprisingly enough, she read for about an hour until she decided to call it a night. Now that the knowledge was in her head and in her hands, there was only one more thing to do: practice. A small happy feeling swelled up inside her as she thought about everything that has happened to her within the last 15 hours – from her weapons and the few new jutsus that she used on the first try, to the medical scroll from Tsunade. Her thoughts about the Kyuubi and Sasuke had left her mind for this brief moment in time.

_Maybe becoming a girl wasn't so bad after all._

TBC

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**A/N:** Just a little bit longer than the previous chapters but still a chapter none the less. I hope you guys enjoyed this! I tried to make it as interesting as I could so please don't kill me or egg my house should you decide to hate me for doing so (begs for mercy). I promise I will have chapter 4 up within the next two days!

**All reviews made by authors will be replied via private messaging. All anonymous reviews will be presented publicly**. HAHA! YOU GET NO SANCTUARY!...just kidding.

**Read and Review folks!** Compliments and constructive criticism will be praised, and flames and idiotic comments will be destroyed and the reviewers who made them will have a nice little surprise in their breakfast in the morning, courtesy of me.

**(1)** For you Weiss Kreuz fans out there…that's right…I went there.

**Response to Reviews:**

**Akume:** I don't quite understand what you're trying to say but I think it's the result of multiple typos. Keep on reading!

**Clèm:** Sakura's a little jealous but not to the point of pure hatred for Minako. Ino is the same case. I decided to make them a little more mature – even though I despise Sakura. Keep reading!

**Unrefined:** I will respond to your review by restraining myself from saying what I really want to say. Be patient…this story has only been created 4 days ago. Your questions shall be answered the more you keep reading. (twitch, twitch, twitch)


	4. The Mission: Encounter

Enchantress

Chapter 4 – The Mission – Encounter

**A/N:** I've received a bunch of private messages and few replies concerning their awkwardness regarding Naruto and Sasuke's OOC personalities. Long story short, I refuse to make Naruto the hyperactive idiot and Sasuke the brooding loner as many stories and the anime/manga have made them out to be. I mean come on, is it really so hard to accept that they can have more than one emotion? They do age after all. Also…IT'S FICTION PEOPLE! I can't stress that enough…

It has also come to my attention that I've been very vague about the pairings to this story. I'M SO SORRY! Basically, the pairings will be **MANYxMINA** and slight **SASUxMINA** but all in all **SASUxNARU**. I hope that gives you guys a good idea of what to expect!

I also wanted to wait until I had an even 60 reviews to post chapter 4. JUST ONE MORE REVIEW! But then I remembered that I promised to have the new chapter up in two days. I hate to break promises.

——†——

Minako was standing in the middle of complete darkness with nothing more than a full-body mirror in front of her. What was strange about that? Instead of presenting a reflection, it presented a small timeline of her life as Naruto. Everything from the taunting and the ostracizing from when he was only 3, to the battle with Sasuke that caused him to lose not only his closest friend but also a little bit of his heart. It kept replaying over and over, never once stopping.

Minako fell to her knees and screamed into the mirror, slamming her fist against it to destroy the terrible memories.

"STOP! GET AWAY!" No matter how hard she tried the glass stayed intact, not even denting as if it were made of diamond. She clutched on to the frame with her head down. Voices began looming all around her.

MONSTER!...DEMON!...FILTH!...FAILURE!...DISCRACE!...We were never friends…

"NO!" That was the final straw. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" With as much might as she could, she gave the mirror one final punch as it smashed into a million pieces. In that brief moment of pure despair, she became Naruto once again – slouched on the ground, completely nude, blood-stained arms, and surrounded by sharp fragments of a broken childhood. He continued to tremble. The silence went on for what seemed like an eternity with only the echo of his muttered cries to keep him company.

But then, gentle voices and familiar faces began to appear all around him…each one mending his heart just a little more.

**Kakashi:** My my, you sure are the stubborn one aren't you?

**Iruka:** How about another bowl? Just to make sure you're full tonight.

**Sakura:** You're back…both of you…Sasuke-kun…Naruto…thank Heaven…

**Ino:** Why don't I spice up your apartment with a few blooms? It needed something fresh anyway.

**Shikamaru:** Stop getting excited…can't you stay put for a few moments?...

**Chouji:** Want to come over for dinner? We always make lots!

**Neji:** I'm no longer bound to the chains of fate or destiny…and it's all thanks to you…

**Lee:** MAY OUR NEXT BATTLE BE AS GLORIOUS AS THE PREVIOUS ONE!

**TenTen:** AHH! Are you ok? You shouldn't sneak up on me like that!

**Kiba:** YAHOO! WAY TO GO NARUTO!

**Hinata:** I-I…believe in you Naruto-kun…

**Shino:** Be careful…even a tiny insect can hold a very lethal poison

**Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon: **OSSU! OYABU!

**Inari:** One day…I hope you'll become the greatest Hokage that ever lived!

**Tsunami:** You've given our family and our village new hope for the future…we are forever in your debt

**Temari:** I can't thank you enough for helping to save the both of them…they mean the world to me…

**Kankuro:** He's changed…somehow I get the feeling that it was your doing…

**Gaara:** No longer…do I feel…the need…to harm others…for pleasure…

**Shizune:** I know this great place where you can get very tasty drinks!

**Tsunade:** Become a great man…

**Jiraiya:** No-No-no! A woman's hot spring is strictly research!

**Yamato:** Concentrate! Harder!

**Sai: **I promised to protect that bond you shared with him…it's…far too precious…

**Sasuke: **I can't guarantee that I'll stay here forever…but…I will promise…to never leave those I care about behind…never again…

His body glowed faint white as each bloody wound healed and was replaced with a warm and gentle feeling. The shards of glass disappeared and the darkness swept away.

Minako opened her eyes and saw the light tan canopy of her tent. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. She grabbed her pocket watch from a small flap in her backpack.

"6:34…I still have time…" She got up from her sleeping bag, grabbed a few of her utilities and walked out of her tent. She noticed that Sasuke's tent was gone – probably packed – and his backpack had taken its place. _Probably off somewhere training…_ She headed for the nearby river to wash up a bit.

After brushing her teeth and giving her face a cool rinse, she decided to comb her hair. _How do girls stand this? OW! _She was having some difficulty getting a few strands untangled. Frustrated, she headed back towards her tent to change. After getting into her outfit, she stood outside her tent still trying to comb through her troublesome locks.

"ARGH!"

"Here…" Minako stood frozen as the comb was gently taken out of her hands. Sasuke poured some water from his water bottle onto the comb and gently brushed Minako's hair. Within a matter of minutes, her hair was finally free of the tangles…for now. Sasuke placed the comb back into her hands. Minako turned around to look at a slightly wet and shirtless Sasuke.

"T-thanks…" Her cheeks went pink.

"Now get your stuff packed up and disassemble your tent. If we plan to make it there by the afternoon, we have to leave in fifteen minutes."

"Alright."

——†——

After both teens finished packing up their stuff, Sasuke offered both himself and Minako a few rice balls for their breakfast. Once the severe hunger pain had died down, they continued their journey.

Like last time, the trip occurred in complete silence. They got pretty far without having the need to stop…that is until about 12:25. Sasuke suddenly halted his movement and scanned his surroundings.

"What is it Sasuke?"

"Something's not right here…" Minako stood back-to-back with Sasuke and scanned west while he scanned east.

"Yeah…I feel it too…"

"Follow me…" As if she could read Sasuke's thoughts, she placed her hands in the tiger seal along with him. "KAI!" The both of them dispelled their surroundings as the clear pathway in front of them revealed a heavy forest of bamboo trees.

Sasuke picked up a nearby rock and tossed it forward. When it landed, the sound of hundreds of kunai daggers were flung into their direction. Sasuke pulled out his katana and channelled as much chakra as he could into the blade. Minako noticed tiny particles swirling around the blade that looked a lot like snow.

"KENJUTSU: HYOUSOU-HOJIN – HANA!" **(1)**

Sasuke stabbed the katana into the ground and caused massive spikes of ice to appear all around them in a tall rosette-shaped fortress. The clanging sound of the daggers against the ice structure rang in their ears. When they were sure that the last of the kunai had been directed at them, Sasuke unearthed his sword as the ice vanished into a whirl of snow.

"Careful…I don't think we're free yet."

The both of them dropped down their backpacks and Sasuke pulled out his wakizashi while Minako pulled out her chakrams.

"Show yourself!" A sinister laugh was heard through the air. All was silent for a bit until…

"Minako!"

Sasuke sheathed his wakizashi – while still carrying his katana – grabbed Minako by the waist and darted upwards. From the ground they were just standing on, shot out a circular area of jagged rocks that reached up, almost touching Sasuke's foot.

"Thanks Sasuke…hang on tight" Minako held both chakrams with one hand and whipped out her chain to her left, latching on to the branch of a tall tree. Sasuke held on to the girl as the both of them swung safely to the ground.

In front of them appeared two men who were staring at them in interest.

"Renegades…?" Minako tightened her grip on her chakrams.

"I must say, for brats, you're actually not all that bad. Although it comes to know surprise considering one of you is an Uchiha. You were impressive enough to block our arbalest unit and sense our underground attack. Very impressive indeed."

"Who are you two?"

"We are on a little…greeting mission…so to speak."

"Word has it that two brats from Konoha are on their way to the Earth Country to 'retrieve something of theirs'?"

"More like taking back what was stolen!"

"Easy Minako…"

"As the old saying goes 'those that fight together, die together'. And here is where you little lovebirds are going to have a tragic conclusion to your story."

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

Both men snapped their fingers and out of no where came a fast blowing wind of dust and sand invading their sight and reducing their visibility.

Sasuke and Minako could hardly see in front of them because of the disturbance but they still held their ground with their backs to each other. Out of the corner of Minako's eyes shot out a kama **(2)** attached to a chain. Minako pushed Sasuke slightly aside and rose up one chakram while kneeling down. The kama wrapped itself around the chakram.

"Not bad…for a girl…" Minako gasped as the chain gave a violent tug upwards, pulling her towards the direction of its user who took to the air.

"Minako!"

"Your fight is with me!" The other man came slashing down from the sky with a large sword in his hands. Sasuke crossed his swords together and blocked the incoming attack. His opponent's sword was pressing down on his own blades with a lot of pressure.

——†——

As Minako rose up into the air, she used her free arm and cut the chain with her chakram. She back flipped in mid-air and landed on the ground. She saw a figure in the distance and began to charge at it with her chakrams assuming it was her attacker. When she slashed at the shadowy figure, it disappeared as if it was never there to begin with.

"Hahahaha…where are you aiming?"

Minako growled as she saw the same figure to her left. She shot out her golden chain towards it. She smirked as she hit something but only to be yanked again heavily in that direction. She tried to dispel her chain but she wasn't quick enough as she was greeted with a heavy kick to her stomach. She dropped her chakrams as she fell to the ground, skidding across it for a few feet.

"Come on!...at LEAST provide me with some entertainment!"

Minako growled again as she chucked six shuriken at the sound of the voice. The projectiles disappeared into the dusty wind and she was greeted back with her own chakrams flying towards her.

_DAMN!_ She used her chain to whip her chakrams out of the air and down to the ground. From behind her came out eight shuriken that were aimed at her head. She sensed them a split second before they hit her and ducked to the side. What she didn't notice was that there was a thin line of string attached to each one of them. The shuriken followed her movements and pinned her down on the ground by her trailing ribbons. Frustrated, she yanked up as hard as she could from the ground, tearing the ribbons while she was at it.

She stood up only to encounter three more shuriken aimed at her chest. She easily jumped to the side and took her battle stance again. Consequently she didn't notice that she landed on a large puddle of mud that began to pull her downwards.

"HAHAHAHA!"

Minako could hardly see but a few shuriken were thrown in her direction. She moved her upper body to the side only to immediately have three more come from behind her, imbedding into her right shoulder. "AH!"

"What's wrong? Find yourself a little useless?"

——†——

Sasuke, annoyed with having a standoff with his opponent, slipped down to the ground and through his legs, rising up behind him. Sasuke gave a slash with his katana but was easily blocked by the bigger sword. The man forced down his sword and pushed Sasuke away. He stabbed his sword into the ground and used it as a stand to send a sweeping kick to Sasuke's face. Sasuke blocked with his arm and almost didn't notice the group of senbon that darted out from small panels in the guy's sword. Sasuke used the wakizashi to block the needles and jumped back away from the guy.

The man unearthed his sword and battled Sasuke in a little fist fight. Sasuke sheathed his swords and challenged the man at his own game. Punches and kicks were thrown in all directions and attacks were guarded on all levels. The guy aimed a heavy punch to Sasuke's stomach and connected. Sasuke grunted but only to turn into a log with an exploding tag on it. The man smirked.

He easily jumped away. "HHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Sasuke flew towards the man with a jump kick aimed towards his head. The man blocked it with the flat end of his sword and pushed Sasuke away. Sasuke flipped through the air and threw a barrage of shuriken and kunai at the man that was easily blocked by his wide sword. When Sasuke landed he darted towards the man with his sword out in front of him. The man easily vanished and appeared behind Sasuke, grabbing him in a head lock.

"Is this the true extent of an Uchiha? I'm not even trying!"

Sasuke tried to stab the man behind him with his katana only to have him disappear again. "HHHHHAAAAAA!" The man's shout came from above as he slashed down towards Sasuke. He knew he couldn't block it this time so he jumped out of the way, causing the man to hit the ground and form a crater with his sword. Sasuke rushed towards the man again with his katana and found himself in another weapon deadlock. Their swords kept clashing against one another ringing through the air along with the roaring wind. The man slashed down and Sasuke blocked it but only to have him get pushed down on one knee. In the blink of an eye, Sasuke unsheathed his wakizashi and stabbed the guy right through one of his wrists.

The guy made an agonizing scream as the pain caused him to loosen his grip on his sword. Sasuke quickly pulled it out and back flipped away.

"YOU ROTTEN LITTLE SHIT! YOU'LL PAY DEARLY FOR THAT!" He raised his large sword high above him as it shone through the dusty wind.

"DOTON: BAKURETSUHA!" **(3)**

He brought his sword down with a heavy slash as it cracked the earth, causing large, jagged rocks to erupt from his position and fan out in front of him at an alarming rate.

Sasuke's eyes widened as the sharp chunks of earth headed towards him. He leaped backwards a bit to try and out run it but it proved to be futile. He leaped up into the air only to have the jagged rocks trail after him, each one climbing higher than the next to impale its target. He slashed and kicked from side to side, propelling himself from each rock while trying to avoid getting skewered.

"HAHAHAH! KEEP RUNNING UCHIHA! HOW LONG CAN YOU MANAGE TO AVOID MOTHER EARTH? SHE IS ETERNAL!"

Sasuke then decided to use the rocks to his advantage instead of as an obstacle. He sheathed both of his swords and leaped from rock to rock in an upwards direction. When Sasuke reached near the tip of one of the taller rocks, he channelled his chakra to his feet and jetted himself up towards the sky. The rocks still kept chasing after him but they weren't able to keep up with his speed. Sasuke flipped a few times in the air and performed a few hand seals. He positioned himself to face the earth below him as he raised a slightly closed hand to his mouth.

"KATON: GOUENKA!" **(4)**

From his mouth shot out 3 huge balls of fire. When they reached the ground, they exploded upon impact erupting into pillars of fire and creating craters in their wake. The man on the ground was overpowered by the explosions that he was flung backwards with a lot of force. The dust around them cleared for a bit and Sasuke was finally able to see his perpetrator. Sasuke channelled his chakra through his katana making it glow silvery-white.

"KENJUTSU: HASUGINYA!" **(5)**

Sasuke chucked his Katana towards the man's sword that was left on the ground. It flew threw the air like a comet in the blink of an eye. The katana stabbed right through the large sword and shattered it to pieces in a flash of light.

——†——

The dusty wind was still irritating her senses and her lower body had completely submerged into the mud. She painfully pulled out the shuriken that were lodged into her shoulder and threw them to the mud beneath her. She felt her body grow painful and a little cold as the dusty gale-force winds attacked her exposed flesh.

"This is fun! Watching a helpless girl struggle in vain! Priceless!"

"I'M GONNA MAKE YOU EAT YOUR WORDS YOU BASTARD!"

_If I can't see or hear all that well…then Sasuke must be having the same problem right? As much as I hate to go against my word Tsunade-no-baachan it's the only other option I've got. I should be fine as long as he doesn't notice me right?_

Minako gripped her right arm on her left wrist as she channelled a large amount of chakra in to her left palm. She controlled and compressed it together into a spiralling ball shape. As a consequence of the chakra it created a small whirl of wind all around her, freeing her vision of the annoying dust particles. In the distance she could make the outline of the creep who trapped her this way.

"THE HARDER YOU STRUGGLE THE FASTER IT'LL TAKE YOU IN UNTIL IT COMPLETELY SWALLOWS YOU WHOLE! YOU'VE LOST!"

"I think it's about time you shut that annoying mouth of yours up! You are going to wish you never pissed me off! RASENGAN!"

Minako shoved her hand into the ground as the area of mud all around her began to swirl around at a fast pace, flying up in all directions, creating a dry crater where she was sinking. An area of the dusty wind cleared around her as the chakra ball was still spinning in her hand. She leaped out of the crater and landed on solid earth dispelling her jutsu while she was at it.

"I-IMPOSSIBLE! HOW DID YOU ESCAPE?" Although she couldn't physically see him, his outline was still visible.

"It's a little thing I like to use called my brain…something you should have considered using when you decided to trap me in that jutsu of yours. My lower body may have been helpless but my arms weren't…you've just made your biggest mistake!"

Minako performed a few hand seals. "MAGEN: JUBAKU SATSU!" **(6)** Minako's body began to disappear into a hypnotic swirl.

"Where…where did she go?"

The man was assaulted with growing tree roots from around his feet and a rapidly sprouting tree from behind. More roots appeared as they entwined against him slamming him against the trunk of the tree and constricting all movement, slightly knocking the breath out of his lungs.

——†——

Sasuke landed on the ground as he saw that the dusty wind began to completely clear away returning back to a cool breeze and leaving the air completely clean once again. His attacker was on the ground trembling in fear as he saw the shattered remains of his precious sword.

Sasuke looked at the man with a glint in his eyes until he saw a beautiful red maple tree some distance away to his right with the other man trapped against it. The man on the ground looked in Sasuke's direction as well.

"Please! Please! Let me go! Let me go! I'll do anything! Spare my life!"

Minako paid no attention to his cries for help as she emerged out from the trunk slightly above him. She loomed down at the helpless man with a smirk and a sharp kunai in her hand. She replied at the man with a hateful gleam in her eyes.

"What's the matter? Find yourself a little useless?"

The man looked up at the girl in pure fear as she slightly raised the dagger up and quickly plunged it down deep into his body, right through his heart.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The man's scream echoed everywhere as the red maple leaves disappeared, leaving behind the dead version of a once beautiful and healthy tree.

The illusion vanished as the man's dead body fell to the ground and Minako landed quietly beside him. She saw Sasuke and the other man in the distance.

——†——

"P-please…spare me! I promise I won't hurt you! Just please don't kill me!" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Spare you? After it was you and your lackey that wanted to kill us?"

"I beg of you! We-we were just following orders!" Minako walked up right next to Sasuke and looked at the hapless man on the ground.

"From who?"

"Ta-takatori...R-eiji…" Sasuke and Minako looked at each other.

"So he knows we're coming?"

"Y-yes…I'm not sure about you two in particular…b-but he knew that Konoha would send two of their ninjas to retrieve the m-me-medical sc-r-rolls."

"Enough of your pathetic stammering…" Sasuke pulled out his katana again and touched the tip of the blade against the man's neck. Minako gently placed one of her hands on Sasuke's arm and whispered to him.

"He might know something…let's take him with us for questioning. Maybe he could verify the rumors regarding Takatori and the scrolls. It's just as you said, they are only rumors and maybe he can give us the evidence we need to verify or falsify them."

Sasuke eased down and whispered back. "Fine…we'll take him…but I won't be questioning him like a civilian. He attempted to kill us so he doesn't deserve any special treatment."

Minako sighed. "Come on…you're going to follow us to Iwagakure, inform us of all you know and answer any questions that we might have."

"Y-yes…yes…I promise."

"And if you don't..." Sasuke made a swipe at the man's neck, making a very small wound but still one that would bleed. "I will make sure you die a very painful death…"

The man began to cry a little bit as he nodded at Sasuke's hate-filled words.

"Do you have to be so dramatic Sasuke? What's with the attitude?"

Sasuke ignored Minako's comment. Minako went to go retrieve her fallen chakrams and their backpacks. When Minako came back, Sasuke was still staring hard at the man.

"YOU will carry our stuff for us AND her weapons."

"B-but…"

"You are going to make yourself useful to us in more ways than one. If you don't try anything funny between now and the time we've finished interrogating you in Iwagakure…then maybe I could let you off easy and send you to prison."

The man made a distinct gulping noise and decided not to aggravate the Uchiha or his team-mate any further. He obediently took their backpacks and Minako's chakrams.

"You ready?"

Before Minako could respond, a sharp pain got the best of her. The shuriken wounds from earlier began to sting.

"You ok?"

"Yeah…just got a little careless…" Sasuke walked behind Minako and noticed her wounds."

"Sit down and take off your top…" Minako blushed.

"You pervert!"

"Would you rather have me rip a hole in it?" Minako didn't argue as she obediently took off her half-top.

"YOU get over here!" The man carrying their stuff quickly made his way over to the two teens. "Inside the middle zipper pocket of the backpack on your left are bottles of ointment and disinfectant, some gauze, and medical tape. Take all of them out and prepare some gauze so that I can patch up her wound…NOW!"

The man retrieved the said items with no hesitation. He gave the bottles of disinfectant and ointment to Sasuke first and began to prepare the gauze bandage. Sasuke gently lowered down the right shoulder strap of Minako's leotard so he could be given better access to her wounds. He applied the disinfectant to a patch of gauze and wiped the three wounds. Minako hissed in pain but it was all for the sake of healing – besides it's not like she really needed it anyway. After Sasuke cleaned it up, he gently applied a menthol scented ointment to the wounds, gently massaging them as they began to heat up and cool down. She shivered at the sensation.

Minako blushed the entire time. Her heart couldn't stop beating and all rational thinking flew out of her head. She didn't once make a sound.

After Sasuke applied the gauze and the medical tape, he stood up and placed the first aid items back into his backpack.

"Feeling better?" Minako put her top back on and stood up with Sasuke. "Yes very much. Thank you." Minako smiled at Sasuke and in turn received a nod from him.

"Let's go…we shouldn't be too far from Iwagakure."

The man spoke up "H-he's right…you're only another hour away from its gates…"

"Do you think you can run with that shoulder of yours?"

"Yeah…that ointment of yours is really doing the trick. I think I should be ok. After all, we're only using our legs. And that guy has our stuff." She pointed her thumb towards the man. "Wait…what is your name?"

"T-akeo…miss…" Minako gave a smile and bowed to him.

"Minako…and that block of ice is Sasuke"

"I-it's nice to meet you…M-minako-san…Uchiha…san…"

"You are going to go ahead of us so we can keep an eye on you from behind. Remember…NO funny business."

Takeo made a nervous nod. "F-follow me…"

The three ninjas continued to towards the direction of Iwagakure, not noticing the lone figure that spied on them the whole time.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** DUN DUN DUN! Even longer than the last chapter! Hope you liked it! Don't really know when chapter 5 will be up but I will make sure that it's definitely up by Saturday August 26. Stay tuned you wonderful fans of mine! LOTS OF LOVE!

**(1)** Kenjutsu: Hyousou Hojin – Hana (_Sword Technique: Frigid Lattice – Flower_). Idea borrowed from the Playstation 1 RPG, **Valkyrie Profile**, from the Tri-Ace (now Square-Enix) video game franchise. The technique is both named and modeled after the _Purify Weird Soul_ technique: Hyoso-Hojin, used by the character Suo. The original japanese name of the technique is still retained in the american version of the game. I added the 'Hana' part for extra effect. The 'Hana' was inspired from Masashi Kishimoto's original Naruto jutsu for the character Kimimaro: Tessenka no Mai – Hana.

**(2)** A 'kama' the Japanese name for your average farmer's sickle.

**(3)** Doton: Bakuretsuha (_Earth Release: Explosive Wave)._ Idea both modeled and named after a technique from the Playstation 1 RPG, **Star Ocean: the Second Story**, from the Tri-Ace (now Square-Enix) video game franchise. Claude Kenni, the male lead character of the RPG uses the Bakuretsuha technique in the Japanese version. In the American version, it is renamed as "Ripper Blast".

**(4)** Katon: Gouenka (_Fire Release: Great Blooming Flame_). One of Sasuke's Ougis from the **Narutimate Hero** video game series (**Naruto Ultimate Ninja** in the American version) – specifically from **Narutimate Hero 2** and up.

**(5)** Kenjutsu: Hasuginya (_Sword Techinque: Silver Lotus Arrow_). My own made up jutsu.

**(6)** Magen: Jubaku Satsu (_Demonic Illusion: Death Tree Bind_). Masashi Kishimoto's original Naruto jutsu for the character, Yuuhi Kurenai.

One more thing…I apologize if the summary is leading all of you into a different direction than what you thought. Frankly I didn't know that I would end up making this more of an Action and Adventure fic than the original happy-go-lucky everyone is horny for Naruto fic. I will change the summary to fit the story better. I will add some gentler stuff in later chapters as originally planned, but this fic is going to have a little bit of Action, Adventure, Romance, and Drama…ALL ROLLED INTO ONE!


	5. The Mission: Destination

Enchantress

Chapter 5 – The Mission – Destination

**A/N: **Ok I lied. The truth is, I wanted to wait until I had an even 80 reviews until I posted chapter 5. On top of that, I ran head first right into a writer's block about four pages into this chapter. It's been that way ever since. I feel really bad for not only breaking my promise but also probably shoving a craptacular chapter in all of your faces after weeks of waiting…I'm sorry.

——†——

As Takeo said, the three of them arrived at Iwagakure's impressive gates within the hour. They were of course halted by a few ANBU guards that were positioned there. But they didn't encounter any problems with Sasuke and Minako. Takeo on the other hand seemed much too suspicious for a mere 'man who simply got lost' but Sasuke tried to convince the guards as much as he could with his wit. Although still a bit shady, the guards let them through. What they didn't notice what that they were exchanging a message.

"They've arrived…they are indeed Konoha ninjas as one of them is an Uchiha. However, they've also arrived with a third person. We've easily identified him as one of _his_ subordinates. Should we keep an eye out on them?"

"No…leave the two children alone, they are the ones we've been expecting. Although I thought we were supposed to have two males and not one male and a female – probably a last minute change. As for their 'travel companion' I will keep my own eyes on him."

"Understood"

——†——

When Sasuke, Minako and Takeo got a room, Takeo placed their gear down on the ground and sat down on one of the available futons. Sasuke rung a hand through his hair and was the first one to talk.

"The two of us will be going to the Tsuchikage's office to inform him of our arrival. You will stay here in this room until we get back. That is when we will send off our signal to also inform the Konoha spies of our arrival. Once we're all united, the seven of us will begin to plan out our mission."

"O-okay…Uchiha…san"

The two began to head for the door but Minako stopped for a bit and whispered into Sasuke's ear. "How will we know he won't leave? I mean it's not like an inn is on constant supervision or anything."

"Don't worry…he won't be leaving anytime soon…distract him for a bit. Do anything to keep his attention away from me for a few moments."

"Um…ok…um Takeo, can I ask you something?"

"O-okay…M-minako-chan…what wo– " The moment Takeo turned around, he was presented with Minako's cleavage, centimetres away from his face. She was slightly bent over, resting her hands on her knees. Her half top was loose, sliding down her arms as the white leotard she was wearing was exposed and showed her ample bosom with its low V-cut.

"Mi-Mi-Mi-Mi-Min-Mina-Mi…." Minako shook her cleavage a bit.

_EAT IT!_ "Takeo…you wouldn't happen to know of any _large mountains_ nearby would you?...I'm in desperate need to find some moss for a little project of mine…sure I can easily find it at a store but they are soooo much better when they're….f-r-e-s-h…."

Takeo had a nosebleed at the young girl's exposed chest and her overtly sexual hints. His face was turning red and he lost all common sense as his eyes and his mind were completely distracted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes_…how vulgar…_he performed a few seals while Minako form was blocking Takeo's view from him.

"Ninpou: Nehan Shoja no Jutsu…" **(1)**

Takeo felt a sudden jab in his chest and saw a flutter of white feathers swirling all around him. His thoughts were now getting hazy as his eyelids grew heavy. Within a few seconds, he collapsed onto his futon in a deep sleep.

"Was that the only thing you could think of? Even directing his attention outside would've been much easier."

"Well you said _anything…_right?" Minako made a playful pout while Sasuke sighed.

"Let's just not talk about it. _He's_ out cold and _we_ have somewhere to go." Sasuke vanished from the doorway.

"Hey wait up!"

——†——

"Welcome honourable warriors of the great Tsunade of Konoha. It is quite the privilege to have the both of you with us."

From their kneeling position on the floor, Sasuke and Minako raised their heads to look at the one who had spoken to them.

"We humble ourselves before you Tsuchikage."

"Arise." They did as they were told and stood upright in a military fashion.

The three of them began to talk about the mission assigned to them from Tsunade while the few Jounin and ANBU guards stood by and listened.

"So you two have been sent to not only retrieve the stolen scrolls but to also investigate the rumors surrounding Takatori and the medical murders? But you two are still young!"

"That maybe the case…but I'm an ANBU member and she is a Chunin. She's also a new medic-nin under Tsunade so we're not your average team of two. In all honesty we aren't exactly the only ones assigned to this mission."

"There are others with you?"

"Stationed around Iwagakure yes…there are five of them."

"Totalling your team up to seven members?"

"That is correct." The Tsuchikage nodded and continued.

"We do not have much to offer you two but if you require any of our ninjas for your mission or any of our available services, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Save your warriors for your Country. We are strictly here on Konoha business and plan to fulfil our duties thoroughly."

"Such words…as expected from the Noble Uchiha clan…very well, I wish you two the best of luck. We will pray for your safety."

"Many thanks…" Minako nodded with Sasuke as the both of them left the Tsuchikage's audience chamber and exited through its large doors.

"Will they be alright Tsuchikage-sama?"

"I am still uncertain. Although I do not doubt their skills, Takatori is notorious for murder by ambushes regardless of how young or experienced his victims are. Send three of your troop members to watch over them once they execute their mission. They maybe Konoha ninjas, but in my eyes, they're still only children."

"Understood" The ANBU guard vanished.

——†——

When Sasuke and Minako reached their room, Sasuke spoke up.

"You were certainly quiet in there…"

"Uh yeah…yeah…sorry. I actually really didn't know what to say. Even though you told me about our mission, you know more about it than I do so I thought it was best for you to do all the talking." _I could hardly breathe in there…was it just nerves or something else? How come no one else in the room looked uncomfortable?_

Sasuke raised an eyebrow but didn't press on any further. "I'll go send off the signal to in form the others that we're ready." Sasuke nodded his head in Takeo's direction still passed out on the bed in the same position as when they left. "Wake him up and get some answers out of him." Minako nodded and Sasuke headed back out of the room.

"Now…how to wake a person up…?"

Minako first tried the typical methods such as poking, shaking, light face slapping but they didn't work. She went a little more on the offensive and began to talk into his ear, pour a cup of water on his face and use a sharp object to poke him. Still it didn't work. Finally, she decided to use the ultimate method…she gave him a hefty punch to his stomach.

"OOOF!"

"Finally! That got you up."

"Mi-Minako-chan!"

"Now…be a nice little hostage and cooperate. We're going to play a little game of 'tell me or die' okay? There is only one rule…and that is to either 'tell me…or die'. Simple right?"

Takeo gulped at the girl's cheerful yet scary threat. He was in no position to do anything funny as Minako – as beautiful as she was – was a skilled ninja who killed his partner without even giving it a second thought. What makes things worse is that Uchiha kid that's teamed up with her. On top of it all, he's probably being spied on as of this very moment. He couldn't tell if it was an Earth ninja or one of Takatori's but his little 'sixth sense' never failed him before.

"Now…I'd like to begin by asking you…how much do you know about Takatori? We'll progress on to more specific questions later."

"W-well…"

The interrogation process went smoother than she thought. Either Takeo was a great actor and everything he'd been telling her for the past hour and a half was complete bull or he was really serious and was actually spilling everything he knew out of him. Regardless, there wasn't any proof that he was being sincere or making it all up but it all sounded reasonable. Unbeknownst to the both of them, Sasuke and the five other spies were not only planning their strategy for the evening's attack but they would also eavesdrop a little bit and listen in on Minako and Takeo's conversation. They heard some very interesting things but nothing that would give them new clues or hints to Takatori's ulterior motives. Sure enough, the one question that Sasuke was hoping that wasn't going to be asked from the spies was asked.

"So…what happened to Naruto? And who's that babe in his place?"

"I'll be brief…apparently Naruto is on a special personal mission for the Hokage and Minako – the girl – is his temporary substitute. Don't know much about her and don't really plan to in the near future. Now don't ask it again."

The boy who asked the question – Takeru – didn't press on any further. He knew better than to get on Uchiha's bad side, and there were a lot of things to get you there. He also that there were a only a few people on Sasuke's good side, but only one person would always be number one on that list: Naruto. It was kind of funny. As much as the two of them fought with each other, they really couldn't stand being away from each other. He wouldn't really be all that surprised if Sasuke and Naruto were already married. Bets among his friends were actually made as to when they would tie the knot. It was painfully obvious! Why couldn't they get it?

"Alright…so at 11:45 tonight, we head straight for the headquarters. If we're quick, we can reach our destination by 12:15. I have a hunch that the reason behind Takatori's hideout being so well hidden for so many years is that it's probably cloaked with a very powerful illusion. If that's the case, all seven of us will need to combine forces and dispel it together. Remember to keep your voices at a whisper when communicating to each other. Make sure your headsets are static free so we can clearly hear each other. We will all be assigned a specific channel on the communicators so we can talk to a specific person without having everyone else listen in on the conversation. If you run into any of Takatori's henchmen, hide yourself as quickly as possible. If that plan fails, knock all of them unconscious. Do NOT kill them. They might have some valuable information that could be useful to us. If one of you finds the stolen set of medical scrolls report it to me immediately. They can easily be identified by their light green color and the Konoha symbol along its borders. I will retreat once I can find anything linking Takatori to the surgical murders. Report to me if you encounter any strange activity as well. Now…are there any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Good…I will explain all of this to Minako before tonight. For the time being, you're all on your own. We have a good seven hours before we execute our mission."

——†——

It was practically midnight and the seven teenagers were all making their way through the forests and fields of the Earth Country with stealth and silence. According to the map that Sasuke had in his possession, they were about 10 more kilometres from Takatori's 'supposed' location. Within minutes, they finally reached the area on the map.

"12:13…not bad…alright everyone…let's begin."

The seven of them all stood in a straight line with about a meter of space in between each person. They all performed the necessary hand seal for dispelling the genjutsu. All of them muttered a quiet "Kai.." as not to inform their enemies of their arrival. Surprisingly enough, nothing happened as they still continued to see plant life and hear the faint chirping of crickets.

"Well we know now that his place isn't disguised buy an illusion. The only other logical explanation would be if it was underground. Everyone, start scavenging."

Everyone began to split up and search the surrounding area for any devices, pathways, or openings that might lead them to Takatori's hideout. Unfortunately, if Sasuke's map was put to scale, they would have to cover an area of about 650 square miles – according to the tips that were given to him about Takatori's 'hideout'. Sasuke wanted to make tonight the mission's completion date.

30 minutes passed…an hour…an hour and fifteen…and still nothing. Sasuke was getting frustrated and so were the other six teenagers. Nearly on the verge of giving up, Minako spotted something curious. It was very small, almost invisible, but she found it: a tiny, stone figurine of a Tanuki **(2)** was meticulously placed in a small groove of a tree, with nearby shrubbery.

"Sasuke…over here…could this be a clue?"

Sasuke looked at the tiny figurine and tried to move it with a Kunai. It didn't move so it was obviously anchored into the ground. He then tapped against it a few times with his kunai and still nothing happened.

Sasuke spoke into his communicator. "Everyone…Minako has just found a possible clue that might link us to Takatori: a very small figurine that was located on the ground. We don't know what it's used for yet, but it's secured tightly into the ground. Try to find anything else of similar appearance. Remember, a tiny, stone, animal figurine. If there are more, they might not be on the ground like this one and could be located in tree tops or in between shrubbery. Either way, look VERY carefully. This figurine is about the size of your thumb so I think it's safe to assume that the rest of them are of the same, if not similar, size…over"

"Minako…you stay right here so we know where this figurine will be. Be on the alert, just in case you encounter enemy troops. We'll keep in contact if we find anything else."

Minako nodded as she watched Sasuke leave from sight. Surprisingly enough, only five minutes later, one of the girls and one of the guys, Ayaka and Shingo had located something each.

"Kitagawa Ayaka…I found a small figurine of a cat with two tails in the trunk of a tree."

"Hasabi Shingo…just found a figurine of a turtle/shark creature with three tails at the shore of a small creek."

"Sasuke here…it seems as though that the three that have been found coincidentally bear a resemblance to the nine bijus of the world. Minako has the one-tailed Tanuki which is most likely Shukaku, Ayaka with Nekomata the two-tailed cat, and Shingo with Kappa the three-tailed water creature. If this pattern is correct, then search for the remaining six. We all know what they should look like and judging from the recently discovered ones, their locations should be similar to their natural environments if they were regular animals. Ayaka, Shingo, stay in your locations like Minako. The other three, including myself will try to find the rest…over."

It took slightly longer this time, around half an hour but four more figurines were found.

"Yasunori Keiko reporting…found a strange four-tailed figurine that looks like rooster-snake hybrid in the branches of a tree…"

"Takahashi Takeru…found the head of a dog figurine buried in the ground…after digging around it for a bit, I also found it has five tails."

"Hyuuga Neji…found a figurine of a six-tailed wolf in an area with slightly sandy soil."

"Uchiha Sasuke…found a figurine of a seven-tailed bird at the foot of a small rock formation."

"Hyuuga Neji …some distance away from the wolf figurine, I can see an eight-tailed serpent underneath the roots of a tree."

"One more to go…" before Sasuke was able to give out orders to Neji to find the final figurine, he was interrupted.

"Honda Minako…I think I may have found the last one…"

"Minako…I told you not to leave your spot!"

"Don't worry…I made a bunshin clone where I found the Tanuki. In all honesty, I'm not that far from my original location. It was fairly well hidden, but I found the figurine of what looks like a fox in a small earth hole behind a tree."

"Alright then…now that we found all nine of them…the real problem here is uncovering what each of them can do…Neji…use your Byakugan to see if there's anything beneath the surface of the one that you found."

"Roger…Byakugan!..." Neji sighed in disappointment. "Unfortunately, the statue that I found appears to be nothing more than a statue. Unless there's something blocking my Byakygan from seeing underneath the ground, it's just a useless object."

"Damn…ok…I have another idea. Scout for the closest team-member and look at their figurine."

"Ok…" Neji sighed again "The two closest to me are Shingo and Keiko and the both of them also seem to have found useless objects." After a bit more searching, Neji's eyes landed on Minako.

"Minako!"

"WHAT?" Minako was gazing at the little fox with a sad expression on her face…that is, until Neji surprised her.

"Not so loud…I'm referring to your real position and not your clone's position. The fox figurine appears to have a small lever switch inside of it, specifically protruding from one of its tails. If you count clockwise starting from the top most tail and with the fox's face pointing at you, it should be the third one."

"You heard him Minako…dig through the hole and activate the switch."

"I'm on it…Neji…can you give me a hand? It'll be hard for me see since the hole is small and there isn't a lot of light for me to see with."

"I will…now simply guide it forwards and I will tell you where your fingers should land."

"Alright…" Minako got down on her knees and pushed an arm through the hole until she touched the tiny snout of the fox's face.

"Alright…now, bring your index finger forwards a little bit until you touch one of the pointed tails."

Minako did as she was told.

"Good…the switch is actually the next tail down."

"I think…I…got it!" Minako made a gentle push with the tail switch and heard it click. Shortly after, Minako heard a noise some distance in front of her. While Neji still kept his eyes on her, Minako got up and followed the noise.

"Neji, Minako…has anything happened?"

"Apparently she's walking directly south of where the fox figurine was." Neji zoomed in on Minako's direction and noticed a tiny crystal imbedded into a tree about 2 meters in front of the girl. It was glowing beautifully thanks to the light of the moon.

"Minako…stay where you are. Sasuke…I will head to Minako's position and send out a signal up into the air to indicate where we are. Inform the others of this as well."

"I'm on it…" Sasuke passed the message on to the remaining four members and told them to head up to the top of the nearest tree in order to spot Neji's signal.

——†——

"Who's there?"

"Don't worry Minako…it's only me. The others should be on their way shortly." Neji pulled out a smoke bomb from his pouch and tossed it high up into the air. It blew up with a faint exploding sound as the purple cloud puffed out into the air.

"There's the signal…everyone move out!"

In a matter of minutes, the seven ninjas were all reunited together. They all silently followed Minako's line of sight and looked at the light purple crystal. Without even a moment's notice, Neji used his Byakugan again to investigate it. Neji grunted in disgust at what he saw.

"What is it?"

"Behind that crystal…is a circular area of what appears to be pulsing flesh."

Keiko made a face. "Inside the tree?"

"Yes…it bears a striking resemblance to the muscle fibre found in the bicep of a human arm. But something seems a little strange about it."

"What do you mean?" said Shingo.

"It appears to be bleeding, due to the presence…of multiple, pin-sized tears between each band of muscle."

"What else can you see?" said Sasuke.

"Although the rest of the tree looks normal, there is a tiny thread that leads from the fleshy wall surrounding the crystal and down into the ground. From there, I can't see anything else…something seems to be blocking the byakugan's x-ray capabilities from that point. This could possibly be the final switch."

"But how to activate it…?" The seven of them stood thinking for a bit until Minako had a brief memory.

_Take this with you. I will not explain to you what it is as the material should be self explanatory once you open it. Plus, it will help emphasize a few things._

Minako then touched a hand to her utility pouch behind her and recalled another memory.

_Shousen Jutsu – Although a basic skill for every medical ninja to have at their disposal, it is still a fairly difficult skill to perform due to its specific purpose. By concentrating chakra to the hand, the user is able to cure wounds by focusing their own chakra to where critical injuries lie, thus healing them in the process._

Without talking to anyone, Minako stepped forward towards the tree and began to scale the trunk. It brought back some nostalgic memories involving a seemingly endless night with Sasuke with the both of them competing against one another to see who could scale their tree before morning. Quite the memorable experience it was…

No one said anything as they all watched the blonde girl make her way towards the crystal. Once she was close enough, she performed a few hand seals and her hands began to glow a light green color. She then placed her hands over the crystal as the green chakra began to flow towards it.

"Remarkable…from what I can see…Minako's medical jutsu is healing the wounded flesh."

Everyone looked in surprise at Neji's explanation. When Minako finished, she gracefully flipped off the tree and to the side. The ground in front of the tree began to disappear as it revealed a hidden staircase. Although everyone's eyes were slightly widened in surprise, Sasuke had a small smirk on his face.

"We've found it…excellent job Minako. We may be a little bit behind schedule due the amount of time spent searching for this damn entrance, but that doesn't really matter now. Once we're inside, everyone split up and recall our plan. Remember to keep in contact with everyone if you find anything or detect something suspicious. Move out."

With one final nod, the seven ninjas proceeded down the stairs and into Takatori's lair.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Once again, I AM SO SORRY FOR UPDATING SO PATHETICALLY LATE! I hope you guys can find it in your heart to forgive me by reading and…maybe replying? I won't blame any of you if you don't. I deserve it for being such a bad promise keeper. Don't worry though, I promise this time to have chapter 6 up definitely by next week. I have a few more ideas planned out and hopefully I won't reach another writer's block.

**(1)** Ninpou: Nehan Shoja no Jutsu (_Ninja Art: Temple of Nirvana Technique_). Masashi Kishimoto's original Naruto jutsu for the character, Yakushi Kabuto.

**(2)** A Tanuki – for those of you who don't know – is a mythological creature in Japanese folklore that resembles a raccoon or a badger.


	6. The Mission: Completion

Enchantress

Chapter 6 – The Mission – Complete

**A/N:** I should really stop making promises I can hardly keep huh?

——†——

When the team of seven reached the bottom of the stairs, they were immediately greeted with a fork in the road: specifically a three-pronged fork. Sasuke went alone in the middle path, while the girls took the left and the boys took the right.

"Sasuke here…all of you, inform me of your current whereabouts."

"Keiko here…Minako and Ayaka were with me as we have taken the left fork. The three of us have just recently encountered another fork with Ayaka and Minako taking one path and myself taking the other…over."

"Shingo here…the three of us have encountered another fork as well. Neji has headed down a set of stairs, I have taken a path to the right, and Takeru has taken a set of stairs leading up."

Damn…just how complex is this place? "Alright…remember to stay on the alert while scouting for the scrolls."

Sasuke ended his talk with his team-mates and proceeded down the lantern lit hallway. Despite the headquarters underground, its walls and halls were designed to take the appearance of a traditional 18th century Japanese villa. It certainly reminded Sasuke of the Uchiha manor as it too had a similar design gracing its features.

——†——

"Hmm…another fork…you take up and I'll take down?"

Ayaka nodded towards the blonde haired girl and headed down the stairs. She eventually came across a small enclosed hall way with three rooms on each of the walls. She went into the left one and came across what looked like a shuriken training room: very spacious, with only 3 wooden targets and 3 straw target dolls as the only room's decorations. Even though it was empty, she pressed on forwards just to be sure. Ever so slowly she took one step at a time while scanning the ground for any cleverly disguised traps or triggers. She reached the targets with no surprises and began her investigation on all six of them.

"Well that was a waste of time…" She walked out of the training room with an annoyed expression on her face however; she heard the sound of something opening up. She was close to the door until a huge log came swinging down towards her. She back flipped out of the door and got down flat on the ground. She watched as the vines holding up the log tore off, and flung it towards the door of the other room behind her, smashing it to pieces. Her heart was pounding a little bit but she regained her composure and stood up, making her way to the room that had just been revealed to her. It turns out that it was simply another training room, identical to the one she just left. She didn't even bother to check it and moved on to the last room, directly opposite from the stairs.

Inside, she uncovered a fairly large room, crowded with mantles of weapons and shelves of books. She was slightly mesmerized by wide selection of weapons ranging from Bo staves to whips. Finally diverting her attention away from the pretty weapons and decorative wall scrolls, she headed for the nearest book shelf and began to investigate. Many of the books had no titles on their covers nor their spines, but the few that did had very interesting titles: such as the Philosophy of Chakra, Beasts of the World, and the Basic Weapons.

Finding nothing on the right wall, she moved to the left wall. Things got really interesting here: she found books on various fighting techniques, uses of weaponry and even a tiny medical section that heavily based its material on pharmaceutical therapy. Although it was cool to look at the books, she was at a dead end and still nothing could be located. Ayaka then moved on to inspect the front wall for any hidden devices. It was a good twenty minutes of searching and still nothing.

"Sasuke reporting…just to clarify…we are specifically looking for a total of six stolen scrolls as well as three large medical tomes. I didn't mention the books because Tsunade-sama had recently sent a message to me via mail in Iwagakure before we began our mission. It seems as though those three tomes are of even greater importance than the scrolls but all of them still need to be recovered. According to Tsunade-sama, the tomes are a dark brown color with gold embroidered sides…over…"

Ayaka continued to search until she touched a tiny switch in one of the wall tapestries. To her left, a small section of books flipped around to reveal a small box. When she opened it, she was greeted by a nice little surprise as a puff of gas flew right into her face. Luckily for her she was wearing a special air-filtration mask that was invented by her father sometime ago. Thankfully, the gas didn't irritate her skin so she was safe so long as she didn't inhale it. She sighed after she discovered that the box's only contents were an antique looking dagger.

"Ayaka reporting…I came across two training rooms and a small weaponry room in the left wing and up the first set of stairs after taking the left fork. Although there are three rooms in the vicinity of my location, none of them had the books or the scrolls. A couple of booby traps were activated due to my interference. Be careful, it's highly probable that the rest of the place is rigged as well. "

"Roger…" the remaining six team-members confirmed Ayaka's response and mentally tallied what else was left to be found.

——†——

"Byakugan!"

Neji scanned the hallway he was in and peered into four nearby rooms. Two of them were ordinary bedrooms while the remaining two looked like medical bays. He walked into the nearest bay and scanned the room: but more specifically the cabinets. All he could find were medical supplies. Although he did find a small shelving unit of books in the far corner, he couldn't locate anything that looked like a scroll or a large embroidered book. He then peeked into the next room beyond the far wall. Although identical as the room he was in now, he spotted a book with fancy gold bordering in the shelves.

He quickly made his way to the other room but before stepping foot in it, he saw a tiny trigger on the ground with his byakugan. Apparently, it would activate two panels on the side walls of the room. He carefully made his way to the shelves, not wanting to know what would happen should that switch be activated. The bookshelf was sealed tightly with a lock as well as an explosive tag.

Hmph…even willing to destroy the information than have it fall into enemy hands huh?

Neji then made a tiny arrowhead of chakra with his index and middle finger and sliced the lock right off. The exploding tag began to glow as an indication that it was about to explode, but Neji quickly used a light Jyuuken style punch to the tag and immediately disabled its explosive properties. His hand sizzled a bit but he ignored the feeling as he peeled off the tag and opened the cabinet. He found the book that he spotted and sure enough, the borders were embroidered in gold. He flipped open the cover and viewed its contents: it wasn't the real thing. Although it was a medical book, it was basically a large drug dictionary.

"Neji reporting. I have encountered a book that bears a resemblance to the tomes that Uchiha has mentioned. Despite the similarities, it's a fake. My guess is to check the copyright information just to be certain it's Konoha property. I'll continue my search elsewhere."

——†——

Minako was slowly pacing herself along a dimly lit hallway.

Ok ok, take your time…no need to rush…don't mess up…just be alert…and…calm…one step at a time.

Eventually she made her way towards a singular door at the very end of the hallway. It was very strange considering she'd been walking along a single hallway for some time to only encounter one door. As carefully as she could, she turned the knob and pushed it open. What she found was a stair case leading down.

You've got to be kidding me…

Like the hallway, she made her way down carefully. Although she didn't really have any special devices or body enhancements to detect any hidden traps with ease, she trusted her instincts and her 'Sixth Sense' for lack of a better word. It was odd, although the underground lair looked like a traditional edo period home; the stairs were made completely out of stone, with a few lanterns on the walls to give it an eerie glow. Once she reached the bottom, she pushed open the wooden door and surprisingly found herself in an incredibly large room.

Just how far down underground does this place go?

She walked over to the railing a few feet in front of her and noticed the reason behind its immense size – it was a training arena. The structure and design was practically identical to the arena used to host the preliminary Chunin exams, but instead of the large hand seal at the back of the room, a large and beautiful statue was there in its place. Along the walls were countless rows of weapons. A few of them were mounted as well.

Minako made her way to the railing, jumped off and gracefully landed into the heart of the arena. When she glanced at the statue, it gave her a strange pull, as if it was tempting her to approach it. Upon closer inspection, the VERY large statue – it didn't look all that big from her original place – was made entirely out of crystal. The design was a beautiful woman, elegantly – yet morbidly – wrapped in thorny vines, surrounded on all sides by strangely realistic shrubbery and flora.

She touched a nearby Iris flower and to her surprise, it was definitely real. But how could a healthy flower such as this grow in the middle of a concrete area with very little abundance of light? She looked back up at the statue and gazed into its transparent eyes. They were hypnotic, and yet they were sending shivers down her spine.

"Minako-san?"

She was startled at the voice and whipped her head around. From the entrance where she came from were the other two females: Keiko and Ayaka.

"You guys scared me there for a moment. What are you two doing here?"

"I actually decided to meet up with Keiko first because the path that I took only had three rooms and no other conjoining hallways."

"I was a little pissed considering all I happened to run across was a single door that leads into a bath-house. There wasn't even a hint of scented bath salts to even make it smell pleasant."

Minako and Ayaka laughed at Keiko. She could be so self-centered, regardless of what the situation was.

"So what's this?" The other two girls look at the statue that they caught their blonde companion staring at only moments ago.

"FREEZE WHERE YOU ARE!"

The three girls all turned their heads and saw that they were surrounded by around 12 henchmen, all in simple black ninja gi. None of them sported any headband so it was safe to assume that all of them were mercenaries.

"Aww and just when I thought it was going to be a quiet night" said Keiko.

"You ready girls?" said Ayaka

"Let's dance…" sneered Minako.

——†——

The battle was ridiculous. Even though it was a pretty nice ratio of 4 goons to 1 girl, each one of them was able to handle the men – repeat MEN – on their own and within minutes all of them were on the ground.

"You know…good help is just so hard to find these days huh…?"

"What were all of these guys, Academy Students?"

"Wait…something seems wrong…"

When Ayaka said that last remark, sure enough, all of the guys that they defeated disappeared in puffs of smoke. Kage Bunshin?! The last clone to disappear actually took on the form of a strange, volleyball-sized grey orb. T-that's…!

"Put these on!"

Ayaka handed her two team-mates metallic masks with a strange filter at the mouth **(1)**. Much like the one she was wearing at the moment.

"What is -?"

"JUST DO IT!"

Keiko and Minako put on their masks and all of a sudden, the ball blew up into a cloud of purple gas. The shockwave of the initial explosion sent the three girls flying back a bit, landing somewhat ungracefully at the base of the crystal statue. It was quite the backlash as the girls struggled to stand up.

"Keep these masks on, trust me, you do NOT want to know what would happen to you if you inhale it." Ayaka made a few hand seals.

"NINPOU: HARU ICHIBAN!" **(2)**

From the black-haired girl's mouth came out a fairly powerful gust of wind that blew away the bulk of the gas and pushed it to the sides and up the walls.

"Even though our position has a lower concentration of that gas in the air around us, keep the masks on anyway…"

"Hey, look…"

Keiko pointed to where a large chunk of the grey ball lay. The stone tile that it was sitting on, had slightly sunk into the ground. The three girls dusted themselves off and made their way to the indented tile as they all exchanged glances.

"What do you suppose?"

"I say go for it!"

"Minako-san wait!"

Minako kicked the chunk of steel away and stepped on the tile, completely submersing it into the ground. Ayaka and Keiko both held their breaths in anticipation for some large and deadly trap to kill them all…but nothing happened.

"Over there…"

Minako pointed into the direction of a door-shaped hole in the far wall that had never been there before.

"Let's go"

——†——

What the girls uncovered was something MUCH more interesting than they had hoped. Little did they know that they entered in to a large room – estimating about half of the size of the arena they were just in – filled with gold, jewels, complete shelves of books and countless antiques. Nothing had to be said as the three of them knew that they had to split up if they needed to find anything. Ayaka searched through the money related items on the left, Keiko scavenged the antique center area, and Minako took the bookshelves on the right.

Minako's fingers were ghosting over the spines of the books as her eyes carefully read the titles. Although Sasuke hadn't informed everyone of what the titles should have been, she assumed that the covers were blank, and that it would be found on the inside page instead. Her fingers grazed over a few blank spines but none of them were the preferred dark brown color…as of yet. As if on coincidence, she saw a set of three dark brown books in the shelf just below the one she was currently scavenging. She got down on one knee and pulled out one book. She took Neji's advice and flipped open the front cover. She smirked.

"Ayaka-san, Keiko-san…look…"

The other two girls stopped what they were doing and headed over to their blonde companion. They too had smirks on their faces as they saw what Minako had discovered.

"Well…I guess I can safely say that Part 1 of our mission has been accomplished. Good job Minako-san."

"Keiko reporting. The three tomes have been found. Ayaka and Minako are here as well and we will be heading outside at the designated rendezvous p –"

"Neji reporting. I have urgent news that requires everyone's attention."

"Neji…what's going on?"

"I can't believe that I didn't notice this before, but the base has been rigged with explosives buried deep inside the walls and other compartments. The reasoning as to why there aren't any henchmen inside the base is that all of them have been hiding in a hidden sub-sector about 3 ½ miles north of my curre…."

"Neji?"

"SHIT! The trigger has been activated! Chakra is flowing through a network of thin fibre cables running throughout the entire base! EVACUATE NOW! THIS PLACE IS GOING TO –"

And just like that, a large explosion was heard, no matter where one was located. Although the place wasn't collapsing at the moment, it began to rumble as more explosions kept ringing in their ears.

"Everyone, leave the base towards the rendezvous point! I still have to look for the scrolls."

"Sasuke are you NUTS?! YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!" Minako was slightly edgy.

"THAT'S AN ORDER MINAKO! LEAVE NOW!"

"SASU –" Sasuke shut off his communicator. Even though rubble was falling from the short ceiling, Sasuke continued to search for the scrolls.

——†——

The remaining six team-members made it safely outside, but their leader was still somewhere in the doomed structure. A large explosion was heard as the door leading outside expelled a huge gust of smoke.

"I can't take it anymore!"

"MINAKO!" everyone shouted out the blonde's name but they were ignored as she dove into the smoke and made her way inside. She activated channel 3 on her communicator and spoke through it with a clear – yet breathy – voice.

"Neji please! Help me locate Sasuke with your byakugan! I'm begging you!"

Neji didn't quite understand why this new girl would be so concerned about Sasuke. Accoding to Sasuke, they have been team-mates for only two days and yet she had the attitude of someone who had known the Uchiha for years. She was probably just another one of Sasuke's fan-girls who literally took the phrase 'I would die for him' to the extreme. He sighed realizing that there was no way of stopping the girl now as she was already inside the collapsing base.

"Once you reach the initial fork that the seven of us encountered, take the north path. You will then reach a set of two doors at the very end of the hall. Take the right one and head down the stairs. Once that's done go left, right, and then straight ahead. Break down that door and Uchiha is in there. Hurry! I don't know how much time is left before the both of you are buried alive."

"Got it!"

——†——

Down the stairs…left…right…and…there's the door! Hold on Sasuke!

Minako was only a few feet from the door when all of a sudden; the door exploded and pushed her back with an impressive amount of force. She skidded across the floor when she landed and shielded her eyes for the incoming trail of smoke. When it was clear enough, she should see the outline of Sasuke's slightly hunched form leaning on the door frame.

"Sasuke! Are you alright?"

"I told you to leave!"

Minako glanced down at Sasuke and saw that his left arm was slightly burned and he was slightly dirty however; clutched in his injured arm was a small velvet bag.

"Are those?"

"Yes they are! I'll have to talk to with YOU later, but right now let's get the hell out of here!"

Minako took Sasuke's better arm and draped it over her shoulders in an attempt to keep him standing up right. Sasuke was slightly protesting at the help but he was ignored as the two of them made their way through the shaking base.

Back outside…

"Neji…where are they?"

"They're…almost…"

"KUSARIKIN NO JUTSU!!"

The five teens all heard that muffled shout but they also saw a golden chain shoot out from the smoky door of the base.

"Quick! Everyone grab it and pull!"

Obeying the Hyuuga's command, the four other teens gripped on to the chain and secured their footing. All of them braced themselves, counted down from 5 and made a heavy pull with their combined efforts. From the door, shot out the blonde and the Uchiha as they soared through the air for a bit and then landed roughly on the dirt ground. The others got down next to them and helped them up.

The second Sasuke and Minako were on their feet, the door made one final explosion that sent out a powerful burst of wind. Had it not been for the seven of them hanging on to each other, that shockwave could have sent them flying. When the smoke cleared, the sight that greeted them was not a pretty one. A large amount of the ground that was once before them, had caved down into a mini crater with full grown trees sticking up at odd angles, and jagged pieces of earth littering the floor. In selected places were trails of smoke emitting from the ground, obviously indicating the aftermath of a detonated device.

As Sasuke was catching his breath, a small smirk appeared on his slightly dirty yet still handsome face… "Mission…Accomplished."

——†——

"They are the ones. The failure has been set under house arrest in the local inn."

"Seven of them in total correct?"

"Hai…"

"And if I'm not mistaken, one of them is an Uchiha, am I right?"

"Hai…also…SHE is there with them…"

"I see…hmmm…let's give them a sense of false hope."

"Sir?"

"We'll let them keep what they were set out to look for…they were of no use to us anymore."

"But Sir…the base…"

"Was an obvious expendable unit. Everything in that shack is of no use to us anymore. All of the evidence has been incinerated. There is no hope of the authorities tracing them back to us. Besides, I have my eyes on a more valuable and precious prize worth more than any of that junk….you may leave…"

"Yes sir…"

"Soon…very soon. You will be mine…my beloved…Enchantress…"

In front of the sinister man was a large wall scroll with a painting of a beautiful fair haired woman – wrapped in thorny vines.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** DUN DUN DUN! Well there you have it! Chapter six. Actually, I wanted to have this chapter deal with all seven of the guys in their own little room of the base but I thought it would be just too boring to read so I redid it.

Sorry if I gave all of your guys false hopes. School and extra-curricular activities have been raping me like no other. But I have a solution! I will wait until I have 20 reviews before I post chapter 7. HAHA! That will leave me a LOT more time before I can post up the next chapter.

Oh and by the way…if you guys are in the mood for less action/suspense and more romance and comedy, then review, review, review! Yup! Minako's sex appeal among the many eligible bachelors of Konoha will begin in chapter 7! I want to switch to the more light hearted side of my story now.

Oh yeah also…I recently updated two of my other stories that have been sitting to collect dust for more than three months so I think my devout readers to those stories deserve an update. Oh and let's not forget to REVIEW! If I get 20 or more reviews in this week alone then I think I will be screwed. If there is a high demand for the next chapter than the amount of time I can make to write it…then…I will be prepared to face the yelling.

But other than that…20 is the magical number people! Or more…I like more reviews!

**(1)** Basically picture Sango's mask from Inuyasha.

**(2)** Ninpou: Haru Ichiban (_Ninja Art: First Wind of Spring_). My own made up jutsu. Named after a super technique used by the character, Kasugano Sakura in Street Fighter video game series by CAPCOM.


	7. The Fair Haired Goddess Descends!

Enchantress

Chapter 7 – The Fair-Haired Goddess Descends!

**A/N: **All of you readers out there, please thank **sendoh11** and **D. Akisira R.T.M.S.** for being review numbers 19 and 20 respectively. Basically all of December didn't present me with a single review so I kind of forgot about this story.

——†——

After a comfortable night's rest since her return back to the village, and donning another new outfit **(1)** as her old one was damaged beyond repair, Minako decided to start off her post-extended mission flex day by dropping off a little package at the Hokage Manor, strictly intended for Tsunade's eyes only. To her immense surprise, upon opening the door which lead into the Hokage's study was none other Tsunade herself; calmly reading over the contents of some patient's medical folder. Just before Minako was about to ask the elder blond as to why she was even awake at such an early hour, Tsunade had spoke up first.

"Have a seat…" she politely said without even redirecting her gaze from the folder in her hands.

Minako obediently did as she was told for the foreign-sounding professionalism in Tsunade's vocal tone was effectively intimidating; if not somewhat disturbing. After Tsunade finished cross-examining her most recent patient's medical charts, she gently placed the closed folder aside and laced her fingers together on top of her desk, looking intently at the young girl seated before her.

"So…am I correct to infer that you're here…because you needed something?"

All Minako could do was quietly nod her head back in approval. Even though she had promised Sasuke that she would accompany him in the delivery of their mission report to the elder blond later this morning (specifically in about one hour's time), Minako's current solo meeting with Tsunade was for an entirely different purpose. Upon sight of the sealed green-colored scroll that the younger blond had placed on her desk, Tsunade immediately knew what Minako's true intentions really were.

After picking up the scroll and holding it in her hands for a few moments, Tsunade spoke up, "Is everything you have mentioned to anyone else located in here?"

"Yes…"

"So if I open this, memorize its contents and use them in the proper context, nothing will seem out of place?"

"I should hope so…"

"Well then…" Tsunade placed the scroll inside one of her drawers and decided to read it some other time. "It seems as though you're faring quite well to your new 'adaptation'…Mi-na-ko-chan"

Minako's eye twitched in frustration at the amused tone of Tsunade's voice. Although she admitted that she had slowly grown used to her new body, it didn't help if Tsunade still found her predicament funny. Tsunade noticed this and continued to smirk.

"You're still enjoying yourself at my expense aren't you?"

"More than ever. I must say, if this was one of your signature pranks, assuming that you still haven't grown up in the last 5 years, this would be your crowning moment. What makes this even better is that you can't revert back to your normal self." Minako slammed a fist on Tsunade's desk, slightly making a few of her papers and pens bounce up.

"THIS. IS. NOT. FUNNY!"

Even though a normal person who dared to stand up against her this way would have been in the hospital by now, Tsunade made an exception since Minako was simply just an estrogen-laden Naruto. Since the opportunity of undermining Naruto's ego was a once in a lifetime opportunity, the boy's sporadic gender-switch a few weeks ago was nothing short of a godsend. Tsunade now realized that gaining the upper hand against the usually cocky blond was something that she just couldn't afford to pass up. She was going to milk up every last second that made Naruto groan in humiliation; and she was LOVING IT.

"You can say that as many times as you want and it wouldn't change a thing. I'm practically beaming." Tsunade wasn't laughing, but that cocky smirk of hers indicated that she was hysterical.

"ARGH! You're not making this any easier! FEH! I'm going home!"

Tsunade continued to call out to the girl's retreating form. "You don't have another mission for a little while so make sure you spend all that free time keeping yourself clean!"

As Minako slammed the door shut, Tsunade really hoped that the girl would have understood what she meant.

——†——

It was around noontime and Minako had found herself aimlessly wandering around Konoha's streets mainly to vent out her feelings of frustration resulted from her first meeting with Tsunade early this morning. Even after following up her mission report with Sasuke a few hours back, Tsunade still kept making subtle glances towards Minako with that mischevious look in her earthy-brown eyes which practically screamed _'the tables are now in MY favor brat!'_. The lingering mental image of the Hokage's annoying gaze continued to drive Minako up the wall. Even at this very second, and hours later, the young blond continued to feel both embarassed and pink-faced.

"Of all the NERVE! If she thinks that she could just _laugh_ while I suffer…w-well…well…t-then…then…I-I'll SHOW HER!"

Minako forcefully kicked a small plum-sized rock out of aggravation, letting it rise up and soar through the air, not even caring as to where its target trajectory could be. Unfortunately, she should have because instead of hitting an inanimate object or landing back on the ground, it made direct contact with the back of some innocent bystander's head.

"OW!"

_Eep…_

"Alright! WHO'S THE IDIOT?!"

"I'M SO SORRY KIBA I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

Minako ran up to the scruffy haired brunette and knelt down next to his sitting form on the ground. The boy was furiously rubbing a hand on the throbbing spot with his eyes shut tightly. The large white dog nearby was quietly lying down in front of his master, with his eyes directed at the scene before him. Although he was concerned he showed signs of amusement.

"You know…you're gonna pay for-"

Kiba's sentence was cut short when he opened up his eyes. Instead of seeing some brat or a miserable unmarried person, he saw the face of an angel. It was the girl who nearly bested Uchiha's uptight ass a few days ago when he was spying on them with Shikamaru, Ino and Sakura. All traces of anger from his pain and interrupting his meditation session with Akamaru were washed away at the sight of the beautiful girl. Her concerned blue eyes and the halo of golden hair made Kiba's face become a faint pink. It took Kiba quite sometime to snap out of it, but eventually he did, only to realize something.

"Um..how did you know my name?"

Minako tried to think of an excuse but she couldn't find one. "Uh, um…well I um." She hastily looked around for anything to give her a clue or inspiration for a random reason. Thankfully luck was on her side at the moment since she found the PERFECT answer. Minako cutely smiled and gestured to the small brown pouch next to Kiba's knee with his name on it.

"Oh…hehehe" Kiba shared a laugh (albeit an embarrassing one) with the girl.

"Are you still in pain?" Kiba rubbed the back of his head a little bit more but the throbbing soreness was still there.

"I think I should be okay so long as I don't move my head around too much."

Minako gently sighed and helped the brown haired boy up to his feet. "Come on. Even if the pain is dying down now, it will still need some ice." Kiba grinned at the girl (showing his trademark canines that many others found irresistible **A/N:** I know I do!) and quietly followed her.

"Let's go Akamaru!" The huge dog got up and followed his master and his companion.

——†——

Although the Hokage mansion wasn't too far away, there was a bathhouse even closer. Akamaru patiently waited outside the complex, mainly because of the 'No Pets Allowed' sign in addition to his obvious size problem. Kiba gently sat down on a nearby cushion in the lobby area and within a few minutes, Minako came back with an ice pack.

"Here you go."

"Thanks" As Minako sat down in the cushion across from Kiba, the scruffy-haired brunette decided to strike up a conversation while the delicious cooling sensation from the ice was ebbing his heated head injury away.

"So! Um…well…now that you know who I am, sort of…would I be so forward as to ask who you are?" Kiba's face pinked a bit as he realised that his proper speaking skills were failing him. _Truly THE way to make a good first impression on a pretty girl._

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm Honda Minako, but you can just call me Mina."

"Minako huh? That's a pretty name." **(2)**

Minako mentally cursed herself after realising what she'd just done_. Did I just give Kiba a nickname to call me by?!_ The look of surprise was still on her face but when she looked at Kiba, it lessened down a bit. _Has…Kiba...always been that cute?_ The dog-like grin of his was definitely tweaking something inside of her. Upon deeper reflection on when she was Naruto, Kiba was one of his first friends as they knew each other when they were only toddlers. Sure he was a little rowdy but he always had this energetic flare around him. As they grew up, Kiba – although he still picked on Naruto – had become better friends with the blond.

She also thought about the time when she spent a good 2½ years away from Konoha to train with the perverted Hermit; resulted from the desire to return the now ex-traitor Sasuke back to the village. When she had first returned back to Konoha, she was amazed at just how much everyone had changed and grown up during her absence…well Naruto's absence. In Kiba's case, Akamaru of course had become as big as a horse and Kiba himself had gotten…._attractive?_ Naruto did admit that dog-boy had definitely gained more muscle which was evident through his slightly more form-fitting jacket and his scruffy brown locks were no longer covered up by a hood. **(3)**

Minako cursed herself again. _What is WRONG WITH ME?! First Sasuke and now Kiba! No, this is probably just a side effect to this body. Stupid hormones! Yeah that's it! Blame it on the hormones! If I ever find the jackass responsible for this I'm going to crush every single bone and muscle in his body into a thick and chunky pulp, set it on fire and send the ashes to his family…if he has one. HE IS GOING TO PAY! _

Meanwhile, Kiba was getting a little nervous as not only was there an odd silence between them but Minako had suddenly gone from helpful and nice to silently angry. She wasn't physically expressing her anger; but the mean look in her eyes were certainly saying 'someone is going to die'.

"Um…M-minako-chan? A-are you okay?"

Minako quickly diverted her eyes to Kiba, making the brunette briefly think he was going to get mashed into a fine paste. After she saw the nervousness in the boy's eyes and the visible gulp, she softened up and realized that she was scaring him.

"Ohh…OH! Oh, my goodness. Sorry Kiba…I was um…deep in thought that's all."

Kiba sighed. "A vendetta?"

"Like no other..." Kiba shared another laugh with the girl and took off the ice pack from his head: the majority of the frozen solid inside of it had become quite slushy, not quite completely melted into a liquid.

"Feel better?"

"Well calmer at least. That ice was pretty relaxing."

"Think you need another pack?"

"Nah…I'm strong. I can live. Besides, the bump's no longer throbbing so there's really no need for another one."

Minako sighed and smiled. "That's good. Um, wait right here, I'll be right back. The owner kind of wants this returned to him. Once again, I'm so sorry for all of this."

"Don't sweat! It's not everyday I get an opportunity like this!"

Minako raised an eyebrow. "Sitting in a bathhouse with an ice pack on your head after a rock-related injury?"

"Nope. Meeting someone like you." grin

"Okay, easy there hot-shot. Flattery will get you no where."

"I know. But hey at least it gets you talking right?"

"Hmm…so it does."

As Minako left to return the ice pack, apparently it was a frozen gel pack to be precise, Kiba was thinking of a way to get to know this girl a little better. Come to think of it, she looked as though she was more or less his own age. That little fact got him thinking quite a bit as the only prominent blue-eyed blonds that he knew that were more or less his age (as natural blond hair was quite rare) were Ino and Naruto.

Although Minako did look a little bit like Ino, her hair and eye color were similar shades to Naruto. With that in mind, he came to a (stupid) conclusion: _Minako is the hybrid clone of both Ino and Naruto!_ It was impossible for her to be their love child as Naruto and Ino would have had to have _done it_ right when they themselves were newborns. Kiba shivered at the nasty thought.

Going back to Minako's hair and eyes, they were pretty much the intermediate shade of blond and blue between both of the two specimens. Minako's hair wasn't a bright sun blond like Naruto, nor was she a light platinum-blond like Ino. Naruto's eyes were a deep vivid shade of blue (like the sky) where as Ino's eyes were a much lighter shade of blue (like ice). What more proof could he have? He never recalled seeing Minako at the academy or even at all when he was younger. Then again, she could've moved to Konoha from another village. Either way, that whole clone reasoning was a pretty good guess.

_Speaking of the loudmouth, I wonder where he is. I haven't seen him for the last couple of days. He was supposed to go on that mission with Sasuke but Minako-chan went with him instead. It's not like him to pull out of a mission with the Uchiha at the last minute. …Strange…_

As Minako stepped back into the room, slightly complaining about the service fee she needed to pay to the owner for using one of his ice packs, Kiba snapped out of his thoughts and went back to his first plan of wanting to get to know the new girl a bit better. What was his plan of action? Food!

"Say Minako-chan er…Mina-chan. I don't really know which one you prefer to be addressed by, but if you're not doing anything this afternoon, why don't you come over for lunch with me back at my place? Think of it as a 'thank you' for all you've done for me?"

Minako was surprised at the sudden request and lightly blushed, but she was more surprised than nervous.

"Well…to clarify the first part of that sentence, you can call me by whichever name you feel comfortable with, it doesn't matter to me. Secondly, all I've really done for you was ice up the injury that I caused. I hardly call that anything worth as much as a thank you meal. And besides, we hardly even know each other."

"And there's where you caught reason number 2!" Kiba made his trademark grin. "We don't know each other all that well. In fact, this is actually the first time that I've seen you in this village…well…second."

Minako froze. _How could he have seen me before?_ Minako was quickly searching through her thoughts. _Kiba wasn't one of the spies dispatched to Iwagakure before the mission. I went straight to the Old Bat after I woke up like this. The only people who I know of that have seen me like this were the Old Hag, Shizune-neechan, Sasuke, Neji and the four other spies._

"H-how?" Minako intended to voice that mentally but it accidentally came out of her mouth along with a slight quiver.

Kiba looked bashful as he scratched the back of his head. "I uh…oops hehe. Guess I shouldn't have said that. But since I did, I uh…well, a few of my friends and I were kind of um, spying on you."

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Kiba quickly raised up his hands in front of him. "Wait! It's not what you think! Two of them were girls and-"

"THERE WERE GIRLS INVOLVED TOO?!" Kiba sincerely wished that he was blessed with proper speech skills. It was much too late to shut up and so he was only presented with one option: and that was to get to the point and FAST. Otherwise he would suffer at the hands of an angry girl.

"W-we were just spying on you fi-fightting against Uchiha a few days ago! Please don't kill me!" Kiba closed his eyes.

_Oh thank god!_ "Oh." _Whew! At least he still doesn't know who I am._

"Y-yeah. That's all. B-but can I say that you're one tough girl?"

"Yeah. I can take that." Minako felt her ego boost as she remembered the fight too.

"You really are! Really! I mean NO ONE in the right mind would even dare to think about fighting against Konoha's youngest Scrooge"

Minako had to raise an eyebrow at that one. Out of all of the nicknames that everyone had for Sasuke's somewhat anti-social behaviour, having him being called a scrooge was definitely a first. She had to admit, Sasuke did act like a grumpy old man from time to time but he had definitely opened up a lot more to others ever since he came back. Kiba may be cocky, but he DEFINITELY needed work when it came to taking people down a few notches.

"A scrooge huh? Did you write that one yourself?"

"I er…well, on the spot yeah. I couldn't really think of a snappy zinger in the span of 5 seconds. I just thought that since so many have been made about him, what's the harm in thinking of a new one?"

"Well for starters, it was weak." Kiba felt a pang in his chest.

"Okay, okay so I don't have the sharpest tongue. But I do however make up for it in the dental area." Pushing all embarrassment aside, Kiba once again made that grin of his and showed off his trademark canines. And just like before, Minako couldn't help but feel a little bit shy when it came to the boy's smiles.

"Now, how about that lunch?"

_He's still persistent as always._ "Well…I am a little hungry. And I came back from a mission late last night so yeah, I think I could use a little bit more relaxation. Plus, it saves having to spend money or cook tonight."

"You cook your own food?"

"Er…yeah! Well as long as I'm fed there's no harm in that right? I'd rather eat at home than go out and spend money on food that I could possibly even make myself at half of the price and even less on the money used to make it, counting electricity and kitchenware."

"You live by yourself?"

Minako had to take a little bit to remember what she wrote on the scroll of her 'Life Story' before she gave it to the Old Hag. After a nice dramatic pause she continued. She didn't want to get into the details immediately so she started it off with a good hook.

"It can get hard at times but I actually find a lot more freedom when you live under your own rules."

Kiba had a feeling that it was probably a sensitive topic to the girl and decided to talk about it when she was comfortable around him. Talking about personal things to someone you've met only a few times is a definite detractor and just plain weird. So, Kiba did the one thing that he knew he was good at: changing the subject.

"Why don't we go fish around the market place for a bit? We can pick up some ingredients for lunch on the way home. I don't mean to brag or anything but I hope you're a meat lover, because once you've tasted some of my barbeque…you'll be crawling back for more!"

Minako was just about to ease into her life story but thankfully Kiba thought otherwise. This was a blessing to Minako as even though the facts and the history were recorded, that didn't quite mean they were memorized. In reality, she would have spent a lot more time trying to remember what she had written down, perforating the conversation with awkward pauses that would be considered questionable.

But, she just so happened to catch the dog-lover's proclamation at some kind of barbeque dish. She had tried some of Kiba's cooking when she was Naruto and the tastes of the mouth-watering meat and sauces came flooding back.

"Really?! THANK YOU THANK YOU KIBA! I LOVE YOUR BARBEQUE!"

Minako flung her arms around Kiba's neck and hung around them for a bit. She accidentally took a whiff of Kiba's natural scent and found it quite pleasant. Kiba on the other hand was as red as his face paint but he had a thought.

"Um…what are you talking about Minako-chan?"

"I..uh…I mean I KNOW I'm going to love your barbeque! Yeah that's it. You asked if I was a meat lover right? Well, you're lookin' at one and barbeque in particular is one of my favorites. So um…LET'S GO!"

Minako forcefully yanked Kiba's arm and ran out with him out of the bath house and towards the market place. Akamaru who woke up from a short nap from the commotion got up and slowly followed his master and his light haired friend. Kiba had ordered him countless times to never run in the streets because of his size, and being the good dog that he was, he walked. Kiba on the other had was not only trying to comprehend just how bubbly yet crazy the girl was but he was also biting his lip from the pain that she was causing him. He could have sworn that his arm could've been ripped right off if it wasn't for his hard earned muscles. This girl had a tight vice-grip on his left arm and was pulling it with the force of a speeding train.

——†——

Minako eventually calmed down in which resulted in Kiba finally getting his arm back. As the two were enjoying a nice quiet shopping trip around the market place, picking up ingredients such as spices, vegetables and snacks (Kiba already had a hefty supply of meat back at home), the brunette couldn't help but overhear some of the small talk that was going on around him. Thanks to his heightened sense of hearing, he discovered that the majority of the whispers were about them.

_Isn't that the Inuzuka boy?_

_Who is that lovely young lady he's with?_

_They look like such an adorable couple._

_Mommy I want to play with the big doggy!_

_Is she related to the Yamanaka girl? They look awfully similar._

_He's grown up to be such a handsome young man._

_Are pets allowed here?_

_Well, he is one of my frequent customers and his dog is well trained so I don't mind._

_He must be lucky to finally find love._

_WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!_ Kiba's right eye twitched when he heard that last whisper coming from an old woman talking to her other elderly friends. _Don't these people have anything better to do than gossip?_ Kiba made an aggravated sigh which didn't go unnoticed from Minako.

"You okay?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah I'm alright. It's just these people."

"What do you mean?"

Kiba clarified his point by tapping his right ear. "If I want to, I can hear a pin drop from 10 miles away. Nothing can get past these ears."

"Oh. I see."

At the same time, Minako was still very surprised at just how much her new body had drastically changed her appearance. Just like Tsunade, Sasuke, Kiba and the others, none of the other villagers recognized that it was really Naruto. It actually made a painful jolt in her chest as she realized that none of the other villagers really cared that Naruto was missing without any notice. On selective nights, Naruto would often gaze up at the moon and simply wonder what would the village be like if he just simply vanished without a trace?

Sasuke tried that but it became a state of emergency once the gossip had spread. Every other villager went into a heated panic attack when they found out that the youngest Uchiha had abandoned his village and sided with Konoha's most wanted S-ranked criminal Orochimaru in order to gain power. When Naruto dragged him back, Sasuke was presented with looks of betrayal but overall he was welcomed back with open arms complete with a party, a statue erected in his honour and an even larger congregation of worshippers to kiss the very ground he walks on (sarcastic).

Although his peers, old classmates and close friends have congratulated him returning home safely after successfully retrieving Sasuke, the villagers never acknowledged the heroics of a monster – if monsters ever had any. Minako let out a sad sigh but this time it was Kiba's turn to comfort her. The boy placed a hand on her shoulder when he noticed the girl's downtrodden look.

"Deep in thought again?"

Minako returned a small smile, noticing that Kiba remembered the excuse that she used on him an hour ago at the bath house when she first zoned out.

"In a way…"

Kiba and Minako were already out of the marketplace and were making quietly making their way back to Kiba's home; with Akamaru just behind them. Kiba made a bold move and moved around to stand directly in front of her and held her gaze with his own.

"This…may sound kind of weird but…if you need anyone to talk to, just know that I'll be there to listen."

"Kiba…"

Kiba smiled at the girl, this time only showing a little bit of teeth.

"I may not be the best insulter, but I am a good listener. I have these don't I?"

Kiba made another cocky grin but this time he wiggled his ears a little bit, definitely showing off his canine side. Minako could help but smile back as she yanked one of his ears.

"Ow, ow o-ow ow ow"

"Silly dog…"

Minako turned her head back and smiled at Akamaru. "And I don't mean you." She gently stroked the side along the large dog's snout in which she was given a happy 'arf!' in return. Akamaru also nuzzled the girl's hand, not just because it was pleasant but also because gently massaging his snout was one of the ways to get him to sleep **(4)**. Kiba couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. After all, all dogs are excellent judges of character when it comes to strangers. Kiba was just about to lead the rest of the way back to his place but a faint shouting noise made the three of them look around.

"DAI...MIKU….ORIIII!!"

And out of nowhere, Kiba was hit causing him to fly towards a nearby pile of crates, crashing into them upon impact. The one leg that comically stuck out from the crates was periodically twitching. The bags of groceries that were once in the boy's hands fell to the ground but luckily nothing spilled out of them.

"Oh my god KIBA! LISTEN HERE PAL JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU-"

Minako's sentence was cut short as she looked down at Kiba's attacker who was kneeling down on the ground. Her body became completely cold as she saw the very shiny mop of black hair along with a spandex green body suit. The stranger stood up and looked straight into Minako's eyes with his own hard gaze.

"Are…?"

_F-F-F-Fu-Fuz-F-F _Minako was petrified in fear as an odd silence was left hanging between them. And then out of no where, the strange boy began to speak in a loud voice.

"OH BEAUTIFUL AND MYSTERIOUS FLOWER THAT HAS GRACED THE VILLAGE KONOHA! YOU MUST TELL ME! SUCH AN ENCHANTING MAIDEN LIKE YOU MUST HAVE A NAME TO BE KNOWN TO THE WORLD!"

Although Lee had never approached Naruto this way, Minako now had a feeling as to why Sakura was so uncomfortable around Lee when they first encountered him during their first Chuunin Exam.

"Uh…I…uh.."

"DAMMIT LEE!" Kiba forcefully got up and pushed off the crates (or pieces of them) that were on top of him. He glared at the bowl-cut teen with an anger like no other. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU ATTACK ME!" The addressed teen looked back at his shouter.

"Because Kiba-kun…all beautiful damsels require the presence of a strong and confident man!"

"Are you calling me a coward?!" Kiba's face became a little red.

"Not as such no! You are a very worthy opponent with strength on your own ground that I will one day hope to master myself! And also…"

Lee turned his head towards Minako, while still holding a serious face. What he did next made the girl experience a truly uncomfortable shiver: Lee blushed **(5).**

"AHHHHHH FUZZY EYEBROWS!"

Lee's once confident world came to a complete halt and crumbled into dust when he heard the beautiful girl's scream of terror along with that nickname that Naruto kept addressing him by. While Minako was beyond disturbed by Lee's behaviour, Kiba's anger quickly went away as he made a small chuckle. Too hear Minako insult Lee only a few seconds after meeting him definitely made that little kicking entry of his ancient history.

Lee was silently crying on the inside from the girl's harsh words whereas Minako had one final thought

_I really don't think I'll be having that lunch anytime soon…_

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for making all of you wait three agonizing months for this chapter! Although I'm only partially sorry as I did promise in chapter 6 that I wouldn't have this chapter up until I had at least 20 reviews. Hope you guys had a few good chuckles! And I also hoped that all of you enjoyed the nice change in content after reading like 4 chapters of a mission involving suspense and action. I made this chapter EXTRA long for you guys. It's the longest one out of all of my existing chapters for this story! **Excluding** the Authors Notes! O.O

Although I didn't get 20 reviews for chapter 6 specifically, I still got 20 reviews overall from the few other chapters that got reviewed.

I will still keep to my promise of updating after at least 20 reviews before chapter 8! Just be sure to make it worth the wait: THE FASTER I GET 20 (or more) REVIEWS, THE FASTER CHAPTER 8 WILL BE POSTED.

I will make a deal with all of you: If I get 20 or more reviews before my birthday, I will promise to post chapter 8 on my birthday which is on March 31st – MARK IT DOWN ON YOUR CALENDARS. Aren't you guys lucky?! So be sure to **Review! Review! Review!** The next couple of chapters will essentially remain happy, peaceful and comical until I decide to ease in to the next major action sequence. Alas, if I don't get at least 20 reviews before my birthday, then you will all have to succumb to an ordinary waiting period for chapter 8. And none of you want that right?

**(1)** _Minako's New Outfit_: A sleveless, dark-yellow, zip-up hooded vest with two angled gold zipper pockets (in the usual place) but with the lower half of the posterior of the vest completely black, extending down to a flap-like garment that just reaches the hem of her matching mid-thigh length dark-yellow shorts - which were held up by a simple black belt. A black shuriken holster is strapped around her right thigh (as Naruto is right-handed) on top of a cuff of white bandage wrapping. A pair skin-tight black ninja boots (much like the ones that Sakura and - for the sake my story - Ino wears) adorns her feet. In addition, Minako is also wairing a pair of black-colored cloth elbow cuffs and a pair of fingerless gloves - in contrast with Sakura and Ino's full-fingered gloves. In case you haven't noticed, I find the color-combo of yellow and black pretty cool!

**(2)** _"Minako huh? That's a pretty name."_ This line is sort of a pun as the _'Mi'_ in _'Minako'_ when written with its respective Kanji character actually means _'pretty'._

**(3)** As you can tell from this chapter alone, I am a HUGE Kiba fan and an even HUGER supporter for the KibaNaru pairing. Kiba is SOO SCHMEXY!! The moment I saw a certain fan art of him which is after the time-skip with his nails like claws (reminded me of Inuyasha) and his jacket opened up revealing his torso, I not only nearly died of a nosebleed but I also wanted to dedicate this chapter to that pairing…sort of. I know I made Kiba all hetero and what not in this chapter but do you think I would be too evil if I made Kiba fall in love with Minako only to have his heart crushed later on when he uncovers the truth? ANGST! Share your thoughts.

**(4)** This is also one of the ways that I get my dog to go to sleep. SOOO CUTE! I love my puppy.

**(5)** Yup. The same thing that happened to Lee when he first met Sakura during the Chuunin exams.


	8. Emotional

Enchantress

Chapter 8 – Emotional

**A/N:** I know I promised to have this chapter up on my birthday, which was Saturday, but let's just say that many nights of drunken debauchery (both before AND after the actual birthdate) have resulted in me having to forget this promise many, many, MANY times over, including the promises I made for my other stories. Don't worry; I let someone drive me home. He was even nice enough to carry me to my room! **Note to self:** promise a hot and wild night for the designated driver during your birth-week. Anyways, on with this chapter! Don't kill me if none of you find this chapter interesting. I PROMISE to spew out the creative juices in later chapters.

——†——

The three teens were currently at the Inuzuka household with Minako icing up Kiba's Lee-related arm injury. Kiba was still scowling at Lee for such an unnecessary appearance where as Lee was bashfully scratching the back of his head in apology. Minako on the other hand was trying to calm Kiba down without having him mash up Lee into a fine paste for his little stunt.

"So Minako-san, are you new here? I don't recall seeing you anytime previous to today."

Minako made a small laugh. "Am I really that obvious?" She sighed. "Well, I guess there's really no point in denying it. In fact, I've only been an official Konoha citizen for about a month; but then again, I never really spent too much time outdoors ever since I moved here."

Kiba turned his head to face Minako. "So…Minako-chan. Where did you come from?"

"Just from a small trading village southeast of Konoha. With only a population of about 100 people, everybody who was anybody knew each other inside and out; that's just how closely knitted together our community was. Only a few households had the privilege of having a family member as an official registered Fire Country ninja. Some would have to actually leave for Konoha to perform their missions, while others stayed behind to help uphold law and order among the village residents. It wasn't a particularly rich village but living there with my grandfather and my friends made it feel as so."

Minako couldn't help but remember the 3rd Hokage. Even though they weren't related by blood, he was definitely the most prominent grandfather-figure in her life…well Naruto's life. The old man disciplined, argued, and even provided the much needed care and affection that Naruto had been mercilessly denied during his birth; inadvertently becoming his unofficial grandfather. And for that Minako couldn't have felt more honored to have had him in his life.

Judging from the solemn look on Minako's face, both Kiba and Lee had a feeling that the subject of the girl's grandfather was a sensitive one. Kiba was about to respond with a few unrelated but hopefully comforting words but unfortunately Minako beat him to it by clearing her throat.

"Well…there's really no point in dwelling in the past now is there? I know that he's proud of me for deciding to choose the path of ninja and for believing in myself when no one else would."

While lost in her memories of Naruto's childhood, Minako unconsciously made her way to the cabinet-drawer which held Kiba's garbage bin. Normally, such an action would be considered unimportant, but considering the fact that this was 'Minako's first visit into the Inuzuka home' Kiba thought of it as a little strange. _How did she know where to find it? Every stranger who comes into our home always guesses right underneath the sink…yet she found it so effortlessly._

The sound of Minako dusting her hands off snapped Kiba back to reality. "Alright…well now that that's settled, all that's left is the matter of that small lunch invitation that still needs to be fulfilled." _And how…I'm starving!_

"Oh yeah! Um…just take a seat Minako-chan and it should be ready in about 30 minutes!" Minako groaned on the inside. _30 minutes? But I can't wait that long!_

"I'll lend you an extra hand Kiba-kun. It's the least I can do for nearly snapping your arm in two."

"Er…Thanks…Lee. You can help me marinate the beef and then we can use two of our grills to cook all of it. Hey Minako-chan. Erm…I don't mean to sound imposing but do you know how to make rice?"

Minako raised an eyebrow. "Well, as long as you have something that I can cook it with then it shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Great! Thanks to you guys. We should be able to eat in about 20 minutes now!"

Minako would have jumped for joy at that shred of good news but she restrained herself enough to just make a cute smile.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

——†——

Once lunch was finished, the three teens peacefully enjoyed their meal outside on the back porch of Kiba's home underneath the warm afternoon sun. They spent a good hour and a half engaging in small talk while enjoying the perfectly grilled meat (a fact Naruto knew all too well) and the refreshing drinks that were offered. Most of it was spent with the boys introducing themselves to Minako. There were quite a few things that Minako had learned about Kiba and Lee (that she never knew before as Naruto) that she found to be quite interesting.

It turns out that Lee absolutely loved the outdoors; specifically at higher elevations like cliff sides and mountains. The more sky that he could see before him and the more earth (or water) that he could see below him, the better. Of course, she also learned about a few of his favorite things such as his love for curry, large antiques, the color green, old fashioned paintings and even his predictable yet unfathomable respect for his one and only Gai-sensei. _If I didn't know any better I would have assumed that they were Father and Son, save the 13 year age difference and the notable contrast in eye shapes. He maybe weird…but I have to admit, he's an awesome comrade._

As for Kiba, the shaggy brunette loved open plains. According to him, there was just so much space to run around in or just lie down and bask in the warm sunlight. Beaches were another popular choice within the young Inuzuka's eyes. While following the same questionnaire as Lee, Kiba loved all types of food (so long as it had juicy chunks of meat in it somewhere), shiny objects, dark colors, self-help books (mainly for pet owners) and even had a secret fetish for large, comfortable beds. What surprised Minako and even Lee the most was that Kiba also had a slight soft spot for felines. In his own words "As long as it has a nice glossy coat, it's fine by me!" Of course, Kiba's unconditional love for Man's Best Friend would always rank as Number 1 on his list.

Minako on the other hand had to lie like no other when the spotlight was brought on to her. While using her imagination to its fullest, Minako was able to come up with a fairly convincing contribution to their talk. Her favorite pastimes included:

- The art of Ikebana; _'I could never flower arrange even if my life depended on it!'_

- Traditional Calligraphy; _'Even my __**regular**__ writing looks like chicken scratches. I couldn't even imagine at what it would possibly look like on a wall scroll written in paint_'

- And finally sports; _Well…at least this is both believable AND a truth._

Her favorite colors turned out to be yellow and black, her favorite dishes were anything salty or desserts, and she had very little tolerance for arrogant people; Sasuke immediately came to mind. After the personal bios were over and the plates were cleaned, it was time for them to part ways.

"Well guys it's been great! I'm going to take Akamaru out for another walk."

"I'm going to be running a few laps around Konoha. Have to keep the fire of youth burning!"

"How about you Minako-chan?"

Minako sort of zoned out after Lee's overused proclamation of youthful flames…or something along those lines. "Hmm? Oh…OH! Um…well, today is basically my day off so I don't really have any plans for today."

Kiba's ears perked up at this. "Er…if uh you don't mind me asking…Minako-chan. Um…would you like to…er…walk Akamaru with me?"

Minako noticed Kiba bashfully scratching the back of his head as well as the large white dog next to him happily wagging his tail. Minako couldn't help but feel a little light-hearted at Kiba's shyness. _Has he always been this cute?_ This time, Minako accepted the fact that her reactions towards Kiba's tiny gestures made her feel appreciated.

"S-sure! Ok!" Minako mentally kicked herself with the slight hitch in her voice.

"Great!"

"Arf!"

"I will one day repay you for your generous hospitality Kiba-kun! Enjoy the rest of your day too Minako-san!" _Nice Guy Pose!_

"Er…sure…no problem."

As Lee vanished from the Inuzuka household, the two remaining teens shared awkward yet laugh-filled smiles and took off with their canine companion for their constitutional.

——†——

"So what was it like?"

"Hmm…what was what like?"

"Doing a mission with Uchiha. I'm actually quite surprised that he didn't decide to forfeit it entirely since Naruto, his usual partner, wasn't the one paired up with him. Tch…those two. The perfect example of a 'love/hate' relationship if I ever saw one. They can't stand being within 2 feet of each other and yet they are practically attached to the hip. In fact, I'm quite surprised that they haven't gotten married yet, what with all of the lover's spats everyone has to unfortunately listen to when they get too close."

The thought of being married to Sasuke really set Minako's face on fire. For some strange reason, she didn't feel repulsed or insulted with the idea, but rather wishful and content. On the other hand, it was a little painful to believe that Minako would hardly ever find the perfect person to spend the rest of her life with, let alone anyone. Sure it was possible for any ordinary boy to simply ask for her hand in marriage but in the end the truth would eventually be discovered. Minako could never forgive herself if she fell into some innocent bachelor's heart too deeply only to end up crushing it; especially if that bachelor was Sasuke.

Kiba noticed the young girl's sudden quietness. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm? Oh of course! Hehehe…I uh was just caught up in mentally replaying everything that had happened during our mission. It was…quite memorable in the least."

Kiba felt a slight pang of jealousy. "Because of Uchiha?"

"Him?! Oh God no. He was nothing more than a stuck up prick for the entire mission. He even had the nerve to yell at me when I took the initiative of saving his sorry ass from getting crushed by tons of burning concrete. Hmph!" She stubbornly crossed her arms. "It's uptight ingrates like him that deserve to be smacked upside the head a few times; regardless of how skilled or genius-like others may view him to be. Honestly, if it wasn't for me the mission couldn't have even progressed let alone become accomplished."

Kiba smirked. _Now THIS is a surprise. She must be the first new Konoha girl to actually repel against Uchiha's fangirl magnet_. Kiba gently scratched the area just behind Akamaru's ear as Minako continued to talk.

"But other than that, it was okay I guess. Just like every other mission really."

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "You've went on a mission with him before? But I thought you just moved into Konoha."

"U-uh um…Well I didn't mean it like THAT. I-uh meant like every generic mission that everyone has to do, yeah that's it! You know, duty calls and what not and no matter how much you may dislike it, it has to be done."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right."

_Whew! That was close…_As Kiba made his signature grin at the girl a faint shouting noise diverted their attention.

"Kiba!...KIBA!!"

The scruffy-haired boy felt a cold chill run down his spine as he gulped heavily. _Oh no…_Although unknown to him, Minako also shared the same thoughts. _Please tell me I'm going crazy…please tell me it's not THEM that I'm seeing._

In the blink of an eye, both teens were greeted with an eyeful of red and purple.

——†——

As Minako was gently petting Akamaru's head, she glanced over at Sakura and Ino who were practically humiliating and emasculating Kiba just a few feet away from them. Although they were 'talking' in hushed voices, Minako was able to hear every word of it.

"How come YOU got to hang out with the new girl so soon?!"

"Did you forget our promise?! You were supposed to inform us of when she arrived back from her mission with Sasuke-kun! WE wanted to formally introduce ourselves to her!"

"Well…I couldn't help it! In fact she was the one that found me first!"

"Excuses, excuses…that's ALL you boys ever give."

"Well? Since you've probably spent some quality time with her judging by how comfortably you two were walking together, where does she come from?"

"What's her name? And what did she think about doing a mission with Sasuke-kun?"

As the brunette was bombarded with questions left right and center, Minako took that opportunity to sneak away while she still could. She quietly whispered to Akamaru.

"I need you to cover for me alright? Tell Kiba that I'm sorry for leaving him like this but I don't want to have to face _those two_ just yet. If you can, tell Kiba that we can complete our walk, with you of course, some other time, does that sound alright?"

Unlike regular dogs, Akamaru understood the human language perfectly. With a very human-like nod, the large pup received a warm smile in return from his master's blond-haired friend. In addition, he also received a much welcomed ear scratch and a slight nuzzle to the side of his snout.

"Good boy…I'll promise to bring you something nice the next time we meet."

As Minako peered over Akamaru's head, she saw that Kiba was still being interrogated by the two young medics. _Now's my chance_. Thankfully, Akamaru's large size was able to cover her entire body when she squatted down. She performed a few hand seals and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"OK! OK! I'll introduce you to her but stop poking me with your fingers! I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this."

Both girls refused to dignify their old Academy classmate with an answer and responded with narrowed eyes and impatient foot tapping. The brunette sighed as he realized that there was no way out of this situation unless both girls were giddily shopping and chatting with Minako. With another heavy sigh he walked over to where Akamaru was politely sitting down while the two girls were beaming with joy on the inside. They were finally going to meet the infamous 'New Girl' who they saw with Sasuke just before the two departed for their mission. Kiba was about to call out Minako's name when the other blond was absolutely no where to be found.

"H-huh? Where'd she go Akamaru?" The large dog responded with an innocent head tilt.

"Kiba…where is she?" Sakura asked in a slightly threatening manner.

"I-I don't know! She was right here before you two showed up! And you can't say that I'm lying because I know that the both of you physically saw her just before you dragged me away from her."

The two girls sighed as Ino spoke to Sakura. "He's right you know…"

Kiba let out a small breath of relief as he was temporarily saved from impending wrath. His ears perked up at the sound of Akamaru's yipping. To Sakura, Ino and practically every other untrained ear, it seemed as though the large dog was simply urging his master to continue their walk when in actuality, he was passing on a message which only those of Inuzuka blood could comprehend. Kiba secretly grinned in happiness at the fact that he wasn't ditched.

——†——

As Minako reappeared in front of a tall stone wall, she glanced around the area for any familiar faces; she found none. _Whew! I'm safe…_She leaned back against the elegantly designed concrete and looked up at the sunny sky, simply enjoying the beautiful day without having anything to distract her. After a few moments, she had a thought.

_Wait…where am I going to sleep? I can't exactly return to my old apartment without having someone enter in unexpectedly. It's bad enough that everyone who comes to visit me _never_ knocks or even uses the door. Doesn't _anyone_ know what _privacy_ means?! _She took a breather. _My new key hasn't arrived yet and I can't exactly go back to pick up a few of my things._

With a heavy sigh she came to a decision. _I guess I'm just going to have to ask the old bat on what to do about my temporary living arrangements. Now let's see…_Minako glanced around her area one more time. _Oh! How convenient_. It turns out that the Hokage Manor was literally just around the corner from the wall-fence she was leaning against. Without a second thought, she pushed herself up on her feet and sprinted towards the Manor.

She was about to make a sharp turn at the corner when all of a sudden she rammed right into someone with a very masculine _umph_ emitting from her mouth. After the two teens fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, Minako's eyes widened as she noticed their slightly awkward position. She was on top of the stranger with her head gently nestled on top of his sculpted pectorals. She slowly looked up to see the face of her landing pillow. _Oh…no…_

Pitch black eyes from behind even blacker bangs looked back into cerulean ones with slight irritation.

"Can I help you?"

"A-ahahahah! Sorry! I guess I should have watched where I was going huh? Typical me! HAHAHAHAH!"

"Well obviously…"

In great surprise and slight embarrassment, the dark-haired boy gripped on to Minako's shoulders and brought the both of them up to a standing position. As he dusted himself off he continued to look back at the blond girl with an indifferent look on his face.

"And…who are you?"

"E-er…uh…H-Honda…Minako."

He raised an eyebrow. "Minako…" After a few moments of silence, he began to walk away. This of course left Minako slightly seething on the inside as she scoffed at the boy on the outside. _What a jerk!_ Just before she was about to do an obscene gesture, the boy stopped walking and turned his head around to look back at her.

_Eep.._

"Sai…"

Minako was left stunned for a bit. "W-well it's about time!"

"Hn…"

As Sai walked away Minako continued to remain angry at him. _No wonder no one talks to him! Even strangers don't get a proper greeting_. She looked down at her chest. _And to a girl nonetheless!_

——†——

As Minako made her way to her destination, she bluntly barged through the Godaime's office door and in a very un-ladylike manner, shouted in a loud voice completely oblivious to the fact that the elder blonde was currently tending to a few familiar faces.

"I NEED A WORD WITH YOU!"

As four sets of eyes turned to the sudden noise, the deep brown eyes of Konoha's current Hokage narrowed in annoyance.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?! In case you don't remember, that's what normal people do when they approach closed doors! And for good reason too!"

Minako dumbly stared back at Tsunade and slowly glanced towards the other occupants of the room which were Hinata, TenTen, and Shikamaru. The three teens looked back and forth between the two blonds in confusion. They shared similar thoughts as to just who this strange loud girl was and how she was acquainted with the Godaime. Judging by the way they both informally addressed each other, there was probably more behind the scene than just a Ruler-Citizen relationship. But then again, they were just assumptions. They didn't have any proof to assume as such.

"U-uh hi!" Minako made a nervous laugh. "I'll uh…just wait out here. Sorry to interrupt!" The young blonde quietly stepped out of the room and nervously shut the door.

As the three teens looked back at the Hokage, they noticed her make a heavy sigh as she held one hand to the side of her forehead.

"Long story?" asked Shikamaru.

"Indeed…" She cleared her throat. "Now before we were so rudely interrupted are there any questions concerning the details of your objectives?"

A collective 'no' was heard among the three teens.

"Good…I expect you three to be properly prepared on Friday night in order to leave bright and early for Saturday morning. Take the time from between now and Friday to properly strategize your battle plans, stock up on supplies, and catch up on your rest. You three will need absolutely ALL of it due to the sheer distance between Konoha and Iwa. It would be a shame to fail the mission from trivial and easily avoidable matters such as fatigue."

"Understood" responded the Nara teen. The two females nodded their heads in agreement.

"Remember, you have three days to complete your mission. Once it has been accomplished and your efforts have been approved by our client, the Tsuchikage, return back to Konoha immediately for your follow-up report."

With a final nod, the three teens bowed to the Hokage and made their way to the exit.

"Oh and before I forget, would you mind informing the young lady waiting outside my door that she can come in for her appointment?"

The slight sarcasm in her voice sent a small chill down Shikamaru's spine.

"O-of course…Hokage-sama."

——†——

Tsunade was calmly sitting in her chair with her hands clasped together and rested underneath her chin. She gave an analyzing look to the young girl before her who spent the last few minutes explaining her little problem.

"So…can you help me or not?"

With a sigh Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "Well…it would raise a lot of suspicion if you continued to live in your old apartment in that body of yours. Finding you a new one would just be a waste of money, plus it would bring us back to the first problem if Minako simply disappeared and Naruto started living in 'her' apartment. Since you're an apparently 'new citizen' with no residential blood-relatives or even acquaintances that you could possibly bunk with…we are left with only one other choice."

"A-and…what would that be…?"

"Living…" Tsunade's left eye slightly twitched. "With me…"

_She's going to scream at me isn't she? Wait…here comes the headache so that's a yes. 3…2…1…_

"L-live…with…WHAT?!"

"What other choice to you have?!" Shouted back the elder blond as she stood up from her chair. "We've gone through all of your other options which I might add aren't great in abundance to begin with. This is the ONLY way for you to suitably live the way you are right now without having to let your secret out to anyone else."

Minako sulked. _She's right…dammit all!_

"Should this little arrangement of ours prove to be migraine-inducing to both parties, I can ask Shizune if she could take you in instead. Mind you that should it come to that alternative, she would have to be another person to be let in on your little secret. I can safely assume that you want this to remain between the two of us correct? The embarrassment would _just kill you_ if the gossip started spreading."

Minako continued to sulk. _Argh! Why must everything be so complicated?!_ She made a heavy sigh. _So THIS is what it has come to huh?_ She slowly glanced back up at Tsunade who had a stern look on her face but her eyes were clearly cheering for joy. Minako could practically hear her thoughts right now: _Oh…this is just TOO good…_With another heavy sigh, Minako surrendered.

"Fine…"

"Good…" Tsunade let out a deep breath and sat back down in her chair. "Now that THAT is settled, there is just one more problem that we're going to have to try and fix."

"A-Another one?"

Tsunaded nodded. "So tell me…Mi-na-ko-chan…" Minako felt a vein in her forehead grow slightly thicker. "Ever since you returned home earlier today…exactly how many other people have you talked to about yourself?"

Minako froze. "E-er…m-myself?"

"No, the other transgendered girl in this room." She responded sarcastically.

Minako of course raised a mischievous eyebrow at Tsunade along with a very smug look gracing her features. Tsunade in turn raised one of her own eyebrows in confusion at the girl but the realization hit her hard when she remembered her exact words only moments ago. She narrowed her eyes and gave a death-promising glare at the young girl sitting in front of her.

"Don't…you…dare…" She let out each word threateningly slow.

Minako innocently shrugged. "What? I didn't say anything."

"And you'd better pray for your sake that you don't! Now answer my question! How many people have you interacted with between now and when you came back to the village?"

"E-er…um…well I ran into almost all of the rookie nine today but I've only went into depth about my 'Life-Story' with Kiba and Lee. Everyone else just took a quick glance at me…well except for Sai who I only said my name to since I ran into him. Man that guy's an ass!"

Tsunade ignored that last comment and responded. "Even though only two people know a fair bit about who 'Minako' is, it's still going to be quite the task explaining why you're going to be living with me."

"Why's that?"

"Well…according to the notes of Minako's Life that I asked you to keep record of and correspond to me with, she apparently moved from a small village southeast of Konoha and has already found a place of her own in the capital. She no longer has an immediate family as the grandfather that had raised her recently passed away. She came to Konoha to become a ninja but aspired instead to become a trained medic. Even though she isn't an official Chuunin as she has not taken the exams as of yet, her overall skills as a ninja closely rank to that of the Chuunin level.

That I will admit that was quite clever on your part to enlist yourself as a Genin, as it would raise some doubts if you remained as a Chuunin. Too many people would wonder just how a recently registered Konoha citizen became a Chuunin if she hasn't been documented as successfully completing the Exams yet. Not bad.

And of course…there is your budding medic-nin career path in which I myself have been recorded as your personal instructor."

"Yeah…um…that seems like all of it so far."

Tsunade took a few moments to think to herself. "Somehow we are going to have to make a small fib that indicates you're a long lost relative of mine or something of the sort. That would be a slightly more plausible explanation to our living arrangements as compared to a Teacher's Generosity."

"In all honesty, any idea sounds good to me as long as I can understand it."

"Well…as long as we're agreeing to this, I'll help reinforce that idea by constructing some forged documents that trace our 'family tree' back a few generations; eventually leading to us. That should deem our proclaimed heritage as valid to any of the more sceptical listeners."

Minako let out a sigh of relief.

"What about Sasuke? Have you mentioned anything to him about yourself during your mission?"

"Er…um…no. I didn't think that it was necessary. Plus he never asked so why bother letting him hear something that he's not interested in?"

Tsunade sighed as well. "As long as things remain smooth and consistent, we should be able to stick with it until we can find a way for you to revert back to your original body."

"Here's hoping." Minako stood up and was about to make her way outside but Tsunade stopped her before she got the chance to walk.

"Before you go, there's just one more thing I'd like to mention to you."

"Oh come on! It's bad enough that I'm forcing myself to live this lie, what else is there for me to know?!"

"Shut up and listen! Now…Sakura is still my student even though she is more than qualified to become a practicing medic. Along with my duties as the Hokage, I can only have a single 2-hour lecture session with you on any given weekday in order for you to become at the very least a Combat Lifesaver. Should you desire to continue your education and become a full-fledged medic, which I'm not saying you will but if it comes up, our sessions will continue on a daily basis until you have learned everything that is necessary for you to complete the certification exam.

All of your practicum work will be supervised by either Shizune or another certified medic. Since Sakura needs to see me only twice a week, I can formulate a schedule which can smoothly incorporate both of your sessions with me without having to share the same time slot."

"Oh…um ok…is that all?"

"No that is _not_ all. The Fundamental Medic scroll that I handed to you before your mission with Sasuke is only a fraction of what you need to know as a medic. Lecturing with me occurs for 2 hours a day/5 days a week and trust me I have microscopic tolerance for those who aren't willing to put in the effort."

Minako groaned. "Come on give me a break would ya? I already know how to use that healing technique, so why should I have to work so hard in a field of study, that I don't even want to do, in which its sole purpose is to only add more layers on top of this…this…hoax of a life?!"

Tsunade sighed in sympathy. "Naruto…I can tell that what you're going through is putting a lot of psychological stress on your mind but you _have_ to do this. Neither of us knows what had caused this problem to happen in the first place nor do we even have a suitable means of reversing it back to normal. So it is our duty to do what we can to make sure that 'Minako' is just like any other girl in this village."

"And that's what's killing me about it you know?!" Minako held a hand to her face as hot tears began to form in her crystal blue eyes. "Ever since this whole mess began…I've been so…confused. I've been feeling things that I've never even cared to think about when I was still me." She had a brief mental image of Sasuke, Kiba and Sai. "Because of this, I'm beginning to actually question who I really am. All of these feelings and emotions…I don't even know if this is what I'm really feeling or if it's just a side-effect from the transformation!

It's bad enough that I have to deal with the villagers appreciating my disappearance and welcoming my 'new-self' with open arms in the few hours that I've been here!" Minako slumped back down in her chair as she held her face in her hands as the tears began to pour out. "I…I just…want to go back to the simple life. I just…want all of this to be some twisted dream…where I'd wake up and find that nothing has changed."

As the tears continued to pour, Tsunade stood up from her chair, walked towards the crying girl and tenderly embraced her. She gently stroked the bright blond locks as the young girl cried on her shoulder.

"It's okay Naruto…its okay."

"H-how…can…you…s-say that?" She muffled into her shoulder.

Tsunade held Minako by the shoulders and brought her up so that she could look into her eyes.

"Because…you're going to be my successor." Tsunade responded with a gentle smile. Minako looked back at the older woman with a look of surprise in her eyes.

"W-what?"

Tsunade sighed. "Must I repeat myself again?" She made a small laugh. "Believe it or not…you are the sole reason as to why I decided to come back to Konoha and become what I am today. Before you came into my life I gave up on hope and faith, and I believed that dreaming to become the Hokage was a fool's death wish."

Tsunade saw a brief glimpse of both Dan and Nawaki through Minako's eyes. She knew that only Naruto was able to present her with such a vision and thus, the young girl before her was still that adorable little blonde boy she had grown to love and care for so much.

"But you have shown me what it's like to believe just once more. Who else would I entrust this little trinket to?" Tsunade gently tapped on the black string that was wrapped around Minako's neck. The younger blond brought her hand up to her chest and felt the rare teal-green crystal of her necklace through the fabric of her top. "Only those who I believe can become the Hokage can wear this necklace. You wouldn't want me to think otherwise would you?"

Minako looked into the deep earthy eyes of the Fifth Hokage and immediately felt guilty.

"N-no…"

"I thought so…" Tsunade let Minako ease the grief out of her system by letting the younger blond rest her head on her shoulder for a few moments. As Minako wiped the last remaining tears out of her eyes, Tsunade noticed that her face was gradually losing its pinkish tint.

"Feeling better?"

"Y-yeah…thanks…I uh…I needed that."

"Anytime."

"Oh and uh…I'd appreciate it if you um…didn't tell anyone about…this..."

"Hmm? About what?"

Minako was about to respond to the obvious question but the wink in Tsunade's eyes told her that she understood. The young girl made a tired grin back at the one whom she lovingly referred to as the 'Old Hag'. Tsunade cleared her throat and sat back down at her desk.

"Now…our first lesson begins tomorrow at 6am sharp. Meet me in room B4, on the ground level of the Hokage Manor. Bring that Fundamental Medic scroll with you along with a notebook and a pencil. Be prepared to use a lot of chakra and take a lot of notes; meaning get a _lot_ of sleep and eat a _prope_r breakfast before you come in. I don't want you stuffing your face with ramen only to end up hungry in the middle of our lecture."

Minako's face all of a sudden switched from calm to outrageous.

"6am?! And NO RAMEN?!"

"SHUT IT! You are going to be in MY class so you are going to have to obey MY rules. Do I make myself clear?"

Minako was intimidated by the glare that was sent in her direction. She sighed in defeat after remembering what she had done for her in one of her rare moments of weakness.

"Y-yes…"

"Good…That's all…"

As Minako left for the door Tsunade made one final comment; in a very sickeningly sweet voice.

"See you at home! Mi-na-ko-chan!"

She was greeted with the door being heavily slammed shut.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** HOLY F! THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER I'VE EVER WRITTEN! Just over 6000 words...IT'S PRACTICALLY A DOCTORATE THESIS! Yay me! Unless you guys hated it…(holds up shield to avoid the onslaught of flying vegetables, glass objects, jagged objects, rusty objects, large objects, heavy objects, poisonous objects, but permeates porno XD XD XD). I hope you guys liked the comedy and the emotional drama in this chapter. I will admit that the more emotional part of this chapter was a complete spur-of-the-moment idea. I added it in just to see how it sounded and I couldn't stop writing about it as more ideas and dialogue came into my head as I went along.

I hope the drama didn't bore anyone too much. I actually felt pretty effing proud about it after re-reading and proofreading this chapter a few times. I LOVE IT! Stay tuned for chapter 9!

Oh and FYI…WTF?! OVER 13,000 HITS?! (Jumps for joy) And a VERY consistent review rate of about 18.8 reviews per chapter…don't ask about the 0.8 of a review. I LOVE YOU ALL!

No side notes for today…awww….


	9. The Ternion

Enchantress

Chapter 9 – The Ternion

**A/N:** Sorry for the super 5-month update waiting period however; I have a good excuse for that. For the better part of August I was bedridden due to frequent bouts of acute heat stress, which unfortunately led to sporadic nights of insomnia. College has also been in effect for the last 4 weeks as well just another contributing factor to my lack of dedication to my stories…not just this one. I hope that I'll still be able to create a good chapter for all you guys who continued to wait patiently for this story. All of your reviews mean so much to me!

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**Note:** From this chapter and onwards, there will more than likely be direct references to official Naruto: Shippuden material which some readers may view as spoilers. Don't say I didn't warn you.

——†——

It had been a few weeks since Minako had officially settled down within Konoha's walls and so far, things were going (surprisingly) smoothly. Her medic lessons with Tsunade, although sometimes quite stress-inducing (to both parties) had proven to be quite successful. While never really bothering with the concept of medical science to begin with, Minako was quite surprised at just how interesting the subject could really be. Although as fascinating as some subjects turned out to be (such as human anatomy and medicinal compounding), the sheer complexity of the theory behind each of them sometimes drove the young blonde towards the brink of insanity. She was still amazed at how Tsunade was able to dedicate her life's work to such a subject for a good 40+ years (and counting) and still manage to understand and answer any question at the drop of a hat. She even had a new found respect for medic-nins as a whole – namely Sakura and Ino in particular – for realizing just how much work and effort was needed to be put into becoming one; not to mention the high demand of practicing medics in all countries, both inside and outside of the hospital.

However, the girl's fast-tracked success was not without its obstacles. While Minako had done exceptionally well during her practicum sessions, the theory was her Achilles Heel, resulting in endless scorning bouts from Tsunade herself. For some reason, the girl just couldn't comprehend textbook facts or articles as fast as a normal person would.

'_She's only Naruto…she's only Naruto…she's only Naruto…'_

Tsunade often recited this little mantra (silently) every time Minako would answer one of her lecture questions incorrectly – which happened on an above average basis much to the Hokage's dismay. She had hopes of the girl improving as their lectures continued on, but there wasn't much of a chance for that happening any time soon. She was however greatly impressed at the girl's performance during their practicum sessions, which was to be expected as her 'male counterpart' had a drive like no other when it came to learning new ways of utilizing chakra. For example, in only their second session, the girl was able to restore a massive Yellowfin Tuna fish (which was nearly 3 feet long) to full health without succumbing to fatigue; comparable to Sakura and Ino who were only able to restore a regular trout fish (about half of the size of Minako's Tuna) after roughly 3 weeks of practicum lessons. Now as week 4 was drawing to its close, Minako was slowly but surely getting the hand of bone re-attachment and chakra-induced anaesthesia, two of the more advanced medic-nin skills proven to be of high priority in both the operating room and on the battlefield. Since all three of these techniques require the transferral of large amounts of chakra at a slow and careful speed to operate properly, it can take up to four months (minimum) of intense practicing and training for a learning medic to accomplish these feats a sub-par level collectively. Seeing Minako perform at such exceptional standards had sometimes left Tsunade gaping in amazement. The young blond truly was the Number 1 Unpredictable Ninja…and gender didn't damage that reputation in the least.

As for her life outside of the classroom, while continuing to get along well with the teenagers that she had grown up with when she was still male, Minako couldn't help but marvel at just how much attention she was actually receiving. Minako had to admit that although it felt a little strange to re-introduce herself to everyone (using fake facts about herself nonetheless) the awkwardness of it all sort of grew on her after a few practice trials.

At this very moment, Minako was currently standing in front of the Hokage's desk, receiving her mission objectives along with two other assigned team-mates.

"Now I want the three of you to make sure that you stay focused to ensure that the mission occurs both efficiently and swiftly. We do not want to have any unnecessary delays as it is essential that you arrive both on time and ready to begin your work immediately."

The three teens nodded in approval.

"Now…seeing as how all of you will be essentially working within your areas of expertise, this mission should not prove to be too difficult given your current academic achievements. Irregardless, it will require time, patience and all that you have learned to accomplish it successfully."

"We won't fail you Tsunade-sama."

The eldest blond nodded. "I expect you all to return by no later than the designated completion date that I have marked down for you; which will take place in exactly 9 days starting tomorrow." She was greeted again with a uniform nod. "I have also taken the liberty of assigning an elite Jounin ninja to be your bodyguard as the safe return of all three of you is the most crucial point of this mission. He has already been pre-informed of your objectives and has agreed to meet you all at the village gates by no later than 6 am, sharp." The Hokage took a few moments to observe the expressions of her three subordinates for any signs of question or concerns. After finding none, she made her concluding statement.

"No matter how stressful your tasks may turn out to be you _must not_, under any circumstances, rush your work. You may have been given a set time interval as to when your mission is to be completed but that is no excuse for trepidation. Doing so will endanger the lives left in your care, inadvertently tarnishing Konoha's reputation as the world's leading country in medical expertise. Should you require more time, immediately inform your bodyguard of the request and he will dispatch a permissive Letter of Extension back to me. Although given the combined talents of all three of you, I don't believe it should come to that alternative."

Small smirks and light gloating laughs were shared among the three teens.

"You know what you must do. Go in peace, and please…be careful."

With one final nod, the three teens exited out of the Hokage's office and made their way towards their homes to get a full night's sleep and pack up for their departure the following morning.

——†——

Surprisingly enough, the four ninjas had arrived at the Hidden Sand Village's gates a little bit earlier than anticipated. According to the Hokage's calculations, the group was intended to arrive at the hidden village approximately 4 hours from their present time. But since the group had not encountered any enemy ninjas along the way – only having to wait out a strong but particularly short sand storm – they were able trek the (roughly) 500 mile travel distance in only 44 hours.

After booking their rooms at a local inn and with the bodyguard quickly dispatching their arrival letter back to Tsunade, the four ninjas immediately made their way to the Kazekage's office to both inform him of their arrival and to follow up with their mission objectives.

The stern pale green eyes of the Hidden Sand Village's Kage quickly scanned over the contents of the mission folder while glancing back at the four Konoha ninjas before him. Standing on both sides of the Kazekage were two of the Sand Village's most esteemed elite Jounin ninjas, which also happened to be the red-head's older siblings.

——†——

**Caption:** Request of Temporary External Assistance in The Hidden Sand Village's Medical Ward

**Rank:** B

**Scope:** A platoon of fifteen Sand Ninjas (twelve Chuunin and three Jounin) has been mercilessly ambushed by unknown assailants during an A-rank assassination mission in the Thunder Country. Many of the soldiers have succumbed to serious bodily damages – both internally and externally – to the point at which immediate medical assistance is not an option. The selective few who have not sustained obvious physical damage have been seemingly injected with an unknown poison in which the presiding symptoms have been shown to mismatch any of the curative properties of any (presently) known administered antidote. Sand Village medics and toxicology experts have stabilized the incapacitated patients but are in need of extra assistance from highly-trained medics in order to ensure their complete recovery. An emergency carrier pigeon was dispatched to the Sand Village for the request of a recovery team from the platoon leader: Okina Motoki.

**Course of Action:** A request to Tsunade, Head Medic and current 5th Hokage of the Village of Konoha, for external assistance in regards to the previously mentioned anomaly has been dispatched at 9:08 on the evening of July 16. A confirmatory reply of approval has been received from the Leaf Village's Hokage at 7:33 on the morning of July 17.

**Personnel Involved: **

Haruno Sakura – 1st Class Medic. Certified toxicologist, Surgeon and learning Cardiovascular Physiologist. Specializes in surgical operations and medicinal compounding.

Yamanaka Ino – 1st Class Medic. Certified toxicologist, Elite Class Combat Lifesaver and learning surgeon. Specializes in bone and muscle reparations and toxicological treatment.

Honda Minako – 3rd class Medic. Certified Combat Lifesaver and learning toxicologist. Specializes in primary healing and anaesthesia.

**Under the Supervision of (if applicable):** Hatake Kakashi – 1st Class Jounin and former Elite ANBU Squad Leader.

**Comments:** Honda Minako is the most recent addition to Tsunade's own personally trained team of learning medics. See the attached facsimiles for a detailed record of the correspondents' lists of notable achievements. **(1)**

——†——

As calm as her other three team-mates were, Minako couldn't help but fidget as she was caught under the intimidating gaze of the Sand Village's Kazekage; Sabakuno Gaara. While the red-head scanned over the obedient forms of Konoha's representatives, Minako couldn't help but come to the suspicion that Gaara's seemingly 'observant stare' lingered on her for just a little bit longer than anticipated; resulting in the uncomfortable belief that Gaara had discovered her secret already.

_No…no I'm probably just thinking too much on it. Yeah…that's it._

As Minako pushed that thought out of her head, the blond cleared her throat, regained her composure and stood up straight, appearing as calm and collected as the rest of her team-mates. After the Kazekage finished reviewing the necessary details, he presented them with his concluding statement.

"I trust that you three," Gaara gestured to the three female medics before him, "have been properly informed of your duties in regards to your mission correct?" The girls gave a collective 'Yes!' in approval.

Gaara nodded to his sister (who stood to his left) indicating her to continue on. "Now…as for your actual tasks, each one of you will be working directly with the head of a specific department – alongside his or her colleagues/apprentices – whose area of expertise is most compatible with your given abilities."

"Haruno Sakura."

Temari held out a thin manila folder (marked "Objectives") for the young kunoichi to take, which she did. "You will be working in Operating Rooms 114 and 115, located at the rear of the main floor, and corresponding directly with Dr. Matsumoto Ruki and her colleagues. Everything you will need to know for your tasks will be located inside of that folder; which Dr. Matsumoto herself has kindly taken the liberty of preparing exclusively for you. "

"Thank you." After the two women nodded to each other, Sakura went back to her place between Kakashi and Ino.

"Yamanaka Ino." Spoke up Kankuro. The young puppeteer, in one of his rarer moments, was out in the open without his trademark face paint and hood. "Your workplace will be on the 2nd floor in the musculoskeletal division of the Physical Ailments and Maladies department, under the direct supervision of Dr. Utada Tezane. Unlike Sakura-san, you will be required to help coach a few of the new learning apprentices on how to properly administer medical bandaging to speed up the long-term healing process."

"Understood…" Ino gently took her own folder and stepped back in line.

Minako gulped down the lump in her throat when she realized that her turn was next. It didn't really help her situation when she also realized that she was being addressed to by none other than Gaara himself. "Honda Minako…" The blonde hesitated before taking her folder. Gaara noticed the action but showed no signs of making that fact known and simply spoke in his usual authoritative tone.

"Your designated work area will be in the General Clinic, a completely separate building roughly 2 blocks away from the main hospital; which is where your team-mates will be working at. It is only about a 5 minute walk north from the hospital, more or less, so it is not too far. Dr. Kimura Namie, a Family Physician and co-owner of the Clinic itself, will be the specialist that you will be working with."

"Understood…" Minako let out an awkward _hem hem_ from her throat shortly following, which resulted in a few questioning looks from the other occupants of the room. Without another word, Minako went back to her place at the end of their 'line up' beside Ino.

"All three of you are expected to be in your assigned areas by no later than 1pm of this afternoon; giving you girls 2½ hours to read over your objectives and to properly prepare yourselves by whatever means necessary." said Kankuro.

"We have faith in your abilities and we shall continue to express our gratitude for responding to our village's request on such short notice." said Temari. "Your lives are in their hands."

"We won't fail you!" exclaimed the three medics. Minako ended up surprising herself at the sudden bout of confidence.

"Very well, you are dismissed…" concluded Gaara.

As the girls were just about to make their leave out of Gaara's office, something caught Minako's attention which subsequently caused the other two to stop in their place.

"Aren't you coming with us Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi simply responded with a cheerful look back. "Don't you girls worry about me. I'm not only serving as your bodyguard, but I have also been requested by the Hokage herself to perform a mission of my own while you three follow through with yours. You didn't think that I would just sit around and relax all week while you girls were busy at the hospital now did you?"

Minako blushed in embarrassment. _He has a point._ "N-no…sorry, I didn't know what I was thinking."

"Don't you worry about it Minako-chan. Now hurry along. The Kazekage and his cohorts have already finished presenting you with the necessary details. Although I am grateful for the gesture, there is no need for you girls to waste your time into worrying about little old me."

"You're right Kakashi-sensei. Come on girls." said Sakura.

As the girls vanished from the doorway, assumingly towards their room at the inn, Temari looked towards the two guards that were stationed just outside of the double-doors.

"Leave us be…"

The guards obediently shut the doors upon Temari's request as Kakashi listened intently to the details of his own mission.

——†——

After spending the end of their working day enjoying a late evening meal at one of the local eateries, the three girls decided to end their day by taking a quick stroll around the Sand Village's marketplace before turning in for the night; occasionally stopping at a nearby stand for Minako's snack cravings, to which the blonde strictly blamed on a 'heavily active metabolism'.

"So Minako-chan, how do you like the Sand Village so far?"

"Uh…I'm sorry?" Minako said with a partial mouthful of dango.

"Well…this is your first time here isn't it? At least on official business anyway right?"

"I…er…" After swallowing, Minako let out the first thought that came to mind, albeit slightly louder than intended. "Y-YES!" She cleared her throat at the confused looks from her companions. "Uh…I mean you know, liking the Sand Village. In fact, I've only ever heard about it a few times through my friends – who've had parents that did their missions here – and my grandfather." Minako convincingly glanced around at the nearby structures, feigning a look of quiet amazement. "Never would I have imagined that the majority of the buildings here were actually made out of sand. Simply…amazing."

"Isn't it?" said Ino with a smile. "Sakura and I have been here a few times on duty but to be honest, they've lasted no longer than a few days."

"That's right," followed up Sakura, "Our being stationed here for an entire week will be a new record for the longest stay within the Sand Village's walls."

"Is that so…?" Minako hid her slight disinterest by taking a bite out of her last chocolate-filled taiyaki **(2)**. The three girls walked around for a little bit until…

"Hey look at that!"

Ino's sudden outburst almost sent Minako into a choking frenzy. After Sakura patted Minako on the back to cough out her temporary moment of asphyxiation, the two girls made their way over to their pony-tailed companion who was comically pressed up against the window of a local shop, hungrily staring at the elegant calligraphy written on the five tatejiku **(3)** displayed behind the glass windows. Sakura noticed that when all five scrolls were read one after the other, moving from right-to-left, they combined together to create a very heart-warming love poem.

"I MUST BROWSE!"

Without even waiting for a second opinion, the bubbly blonde dashed through the double doors of the shop in the blink of an eye. Minako subsequently broke the odd silence that fell between her and Sakura shortly following Ino's disappearance into the store.

"Um…do you think we should go get her?"

The response that came out of Sakura's mouth however turned out to be one that Minako had least expected.

"A-actually…I was kind of thinking of going in and taking a look as well. It wouldn't hurt to do a little harmless browsing after a long day at work right? And who knows, maybe we might even find something worth purchasing. "

Minako could only stare dumbfounded at the girl with whom she had always looked up to as somewhat of a sisterly figure. "Y-you're not serious are you?"

"But of course I am." Sakura calmly made her way into the store as well.

Minako sighed in defeat as she realized that her only options, other than joining in on the shopping, would be to either wait outside for them to finish for an unprecedented amount of time or to find her own way back to their room at the inn. Rather than bore herself to death with mindless waiting or ending up lost in the massive village at this time of night, Minako took in a deep breath, held her head up high and made her way through the double-doors.

——†——

Although the exterior of the store looked very much like any other building within the village, the girls (despite entering at different times) were blown away from the extravagance of its interior.

Minako spent a few moments near the doors just visually soaking in the ambiance of the large room before her, which in her own (silent) words was 'MUCH bigger than it seemed from the outside'. The sleek mahogany-floored shop had its walls covered with large scarlet silk draperies complete with golden coloured ropes and tassels for their finishing touch; resembling more of a palace treasury than a store. To further add to that analogy, the store was filled with racks of top-quality armour and weaponry, hundreds of pieces of finely made clothing and jewellery, countless numbers of magnificently crafted sculptures, and shelves (along the entire length of the side walls) with an almost infinite-looking supply of tomes and scrolls all categorized by core function.

It was quite surprising to realize that there was still plenty of walking space in between all of the displays that it only seemed to add to the sheer vastness of the temple-like room. Located along the back most wall were twelve elegantly painted tatejiku, much like the ones in the display windows, but this time with each one depicting the picture of a specific flower (or tree) along with its respective month (according to the typical calendar year) written in calligraphic print **(4)**. Minako also noticed a long but empty table at the base of the back wall where she assumed was where the shopkeeper would be had they been present.

_Probably busy in the backroom somewhere…oh well…might as well make the most of it._

——†——

Minako first began her browsing journey by heading for the weaponry department; which took up the majority of the left side of the room. Her main reason for doing so was simply because it was nearby. Never in her entire life had she seen such an impressive arsenal. Weapons of all sizes and types, both for bruising and slashing, littered the racks by the hundreds with each one effortlessly satisfying the young blonde's fascination as she continued to move up and down the aisles.

After admiring the fine craftsmanship of a black-poled Naginata, Minako noticed Ino and Sakura busying themselves among the jewellery and sculpted artwork, respectively. A quick glance to her right made Minako (by default) decide to check out the massive shelves of scrolls and books situated along the left wall in the hopes of receiving the same amount of interest as she had done with the weaponry only moments ago. Had it not been for the vast variety of reading material that the texts were organized in, Minako would have easily moved on to something a little more interesting. As she swiftly skimmed over the various titles, a very peculiar dark brown book had attracted her attention so much that she couldn't help but open it up; entitled: _The Age of Anarchy._

As she started to read the first chapter of the book, Minako nearly jumped out of her skin when Sakura and Ino surprised her from behind.

"Find something interesting?" asked Sakura.

"Er…um…yeah! Yeah, something very interesting might I add." Minako slightly raised the book up to breast level to present the other two with a better look at her reading material.

"Hey I know that picture."

Minako and Sakura looked towards Ino's pointed finger directing their attention to the full-page illustration located on the left page. It showed a picture of a very beautiful woman, facing towards them, standing barefooted on top of a watery surface. Her eyes were closed as her long flowing blond hair was drawn to look like it was swaying in the wind. The woman's clothing however was nothing more than a large, white piece of cloth situated around her breasts (with trailing ribbons at the back), a long white ankle-length dress (slit from both sides of the hips all the way down to the hem) and two arm bands around her biceps (also with trailing ribbons). The object that the woman was holding in her hands, just in front of her exposed mid-drift, looked like a moderately-sized circular mirror surrounded by a simple but elegant white frame. While Sakura was impressed by the simplistic beauty of the illustration, Minako on the other hand felt a very strange and awkward sense of déjà vu; coming to the impossible conclusion that she had seen this woman before.

"Really? Who is she Ino?" inquisitively asked Sakura. "Y-yeah…" Minako hesitantly added.

"Are you two serious? Do you mean to tell me that neither of you have ever heard the story of Michiko the Enchantress?" **(5)**

The clueless looks on her team-mate's faces answered it for her. With a somewhat exasperated sigh Ino began to elaborate.

"Michiko is one of the most famous legends in ancient history to date! In fact, some people believe that Michiko herself once existed hundreds of years ago, during the feudal era. She has been infamously branded as both the mastermind and the villain behind the Nine Bijuus of the world; the latter of which everyone knows, with solid proof, are quite real."

As Sakura stood in silent interest, Minako voiced out the question that arose as a result of the other blonde's anecdote.

"Mastermind and villain? Wait…do you mean to tell me that Michiko is the creator the Bijuus?! They weren't just demonic creatures that had somehow existed for centuries?"

Ino had to think on that for a few moments before answering. "Hmm…well, despite the popular belief that Michiko was indeed a real person, textbooks and articles from around the world are quite uncertain of whether or not she actually was the so called 'Mother of the Demons'. There is one major thing however that a lot of scholars will agree upon that has furthered the notion of Michiko being the great heroine that so many generations have believed her to be. Do you see that mirror she's holding in her hands?"

Minako and Sakura glanced back down at the picture.

"That mirror was the key element used to seal away all nine bijuus, in nine specific corners of the world, for hundreds and hundreds of years. That is, until about a few decades ago when all of them were released from their prisons by power-hungry humans. Thankfully the ritual of sealing a bijuu within a human being was eventually discovered. The world would have been a very quiet place had it not been for people like the Fourth Hokage."

"Wow…" softly exclaimed Sakura.

Minako on the other hand felt a strange mixture of pride and confusion. The latter emotion was for learning – despite its mythological heritage – that her fate as a jinchuriki **(6)** could have possibly been stemmed from the workings of a single woman who existed long before her time; where as the former emotion was for the other blonde mentioning the Fourth Hokage's most legendary achievement. _Father…_

Before Ino was able to continue explaining the legend of Michiko to her comrades, the soft clunking sound of getas **(7)** made the three girls direct their attention towards the origin of the noise. Fluidly approaching their grouped form from the right was a balding elderly man with a gentle look on his face. In addition to having his hands positioned behind his back, the old man's dark blue hakama **(8)** and matching blue top, comically reminded Minako of the stereotypical 'old master' that one would believe to live in a solitary dojo high up in the misty mountains; miles away from civilization and training only those who were able to find him so long as they were also worthy of his wisdom and time.

"Good evening young ladies."

"Good evening sir!" the girls responded politely.

While in mid-nod, the old man froze entirely after getting a good glimpse of the blonde-haired girl dressed in dark yellow. _I-impossible…!_

Much like the illustration, Minako once again got the eerie feeling that she had somehow seen the old man, a complete stranger as far as she knew, from somewhere before as well. _Oh for crying out loud!_ With a noticeable clearing of her throat, Minako chose at that moment to end the awkward silence that had fallen between the four of them.

"So…um are you the shopkeeper of this outlet?"

Sakura and Ino couldn't help but glance over at Minako with concern, also noticing the analytical look that the old man had been observing her with.

The old man snapped out of his trance as well. "Y-yes I am young lady," the old man cleared his throat, "I serve as both the shopkeeper, proprietor and somewhat of a guardian to this little outlet. I may be old, but I can still prove to be quite the security guard."

Minako was overcome with sudden amazement. "Oh wow…really?!" she stared at the old man with wide eyes, "You do all of that?! Alone?! For ALL of this?!"

"Remarkable…" said Sakura and Ino admirably.

"All in a day's work! And please young ladies, call me Masato."

"I am Honda Minako. It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Masato-jiisan."

"Likewise! Haruno Sakura."

"Yamanaka Ino sir!"

"It is a pleasure. I heard voices from my place in the backroom so I decided to come back out here to see if anyone needed any assistance. Never would I have expected to interrupt at what seemed like a very important history lesson." Masato smiled.

Minako blushed. "O-oh that?! Hee hee…w-well…well it was…um…"

"Forgive her Masato-jiisan, we've all had a long day at the hospital and today in particular was Minako-chan's first 8-hour straight shift." Ino smoothly followed up. "We meant to return back to our rooms after we finished eating, but I couldn't help but indulge myself in your store after seeing your window displays."

Sakura glanced over at Ino with slight amazement. _Nicely done…_

Upon closer inspection, Masato noticed the Konoha headbands that the three girls were sporting.

"Ahh! Fire natives are you? Busy in mission work I presume?"

"Yes. It's going to be an exceptionally busy one for us since we're stationed in the Sand Village for an entire week," said Sakura.

"Impressive…well you three girls look like bright and smart young medics, I'm sure that you will perform exceedingly well during your time here."

The three girls smiled. "Thank you Masato-jiisan."

Masato nodded. "Oh and by the way, young lady…um…Ino I believe it was?"

"That's correct."

"I couldn't help but overhear at how informative you were about Priestess Michiko's story," he gestured towards the book held in Minako's hands.

Ino's eyes lit up, "Are you kidding me?! Michiko-sama is my hero! There is not a single moment written about her that I can't both mentally envision and recite by heart!"

Masato looked delighted, "Tell me…what moment during Michiko's life would you personally consider to be the most memorable?"

Minako and Sakura looked towards Ino's thinking form. "Hmm…well, there are quite a lot to choose from…but I will say that the most significant one, to me at least, would probably have to be the fall of 'The Ternion'. Not only did it mark the end of the Black Lotus War but it also signified the world's the first era of peace."

"Ahh...the Ternion...of course. Both a tragedy and a blessing..."

Minako looked towards Ino and Masato with a slightly clueless look on her face. "Um…I don't mean to be rude or anything but…um…what was that 'Ternion' thing that you two mentioned?" Her interest had been piqued.

Sakura did what she could to enlighten both her and Minako's uncertainties, "Well…the normal word 'ternion' means 'a group of three'…so…I'm assuming that it probably had something to do with the fall of Michiko herself, as I inferred from your last comment Masato-jiichan, and the fall of two other very important figures during the Black Lotus War correct?"

Masato nodded. "You are indeed correct young lady. Very impressive."

"Interesting…" said Minako.

Just then, Masato had a brilliant idea. "Hmm…I have just the thing that I want you three ladies to see if you're still interested in discussing Michiko in the Age of Anarchy. Do you have a couple of more moments to spare?"

The three girls exchanged looks as Sakura took a brief glance down at her watch.

"Well…we don't start until 10 tomorrow, so I guess we can stick around for a bit."

"GREAT!" exclaimed Ino and (surprisingly) Minako in unison.

Masato gave a light chuckle. "Excellent. Now follow me…" The girls did as they were told and eventually made their way towards the long table, which was empty when they first entered, in front of the back wall. With both parties standing on opposite sides of the table, the girls were directed towards a particular section where a large pedestal stood awkwardly empty behind Masato.

"I only show this precious treasure to those who are as well immersed with the story of Michiko as much as myself."

Ino made a faint chuckle as she lightly nudged Minako in the ribs. After watching Masato perform a few hand seals, a most impressive thing happened: the lustrous shine of what looked like rose-coloured glass began to materialize, seemingly out of no where, on top of the once empty pedestal in a hypnotic swirl. Once the illusion was completely dispelled, Masato unveiled a large crystalline statue, standing at a visually impressive height of just over three feet, consisting of three distinct figures: two humans and a large animal. Masato courteously moved to the side a bit to present the girls with a clearer view of the magnificent sculpture.

"There it is…an artist's depiction of 'The Ternion'"

"W-wow! It's gorgeous!" Ino was practically gushing.

Although she was just as impressed as Ino, Sakura couldn't help but ask Masato a few questions.

"Masato-jiichan, how come you covered up this magnificent statue in an illusion?"

Masato laughed light-heartedly. "Well…despite being surrounded by lots of expensive-looking objects, this one in particular," he gestured to the statue, "is the only one that has actual sentimental value to me. I wouldn't know what I would do should anything happen to this statue…"

"Oh I see. So is it something along the lines of a much cherished gift or a priceless family-heirloom?" Sakura gazed admiringly at it as well.

"Such detail!" Ino somehow managed to sneak over to the other side of the table, next to Masato and in front of the statue, unnoticed. "And so realistic too! It's almost as if they could just spring to life at any moment!" The enthusiastic blond made a very gentle flick at the statue, letting its song-like resonance flow through their ears. "And it's made out of real crystal!"

"Something like that…" Masato continued to look at the statue, not minding Ino's excitement in the least.

Masato turned back to face Sakura but also took a hopeful glance towards the other blond-haired girl, whom he remembered being named as Minako. All other sounds seemed to drain away as the yellow-clad kunoichi continued to stare at the statue as if it was the only other thing in the room.

The bottom-most figure was a large canine-resembling animal, standing up on all fours, with its entire body facing east. The creature was positioned as if it were about to attack an unwanted trespasser; the barred fangs and elevated back fur inadvertently verified that assumption. Judging from its realistic ferocity, Minako assumed that the animal was a wolf but its slightly slender body made her think otherwise. The strangest part about the large animal was that it seemed to have no visible tail sculpted on to its posterior.

Standing just behind and to the left of the 'wolf' stood the elevated form of the second figure: the bare upper body of a handsome young man facing west but with his eyes looking up towards the sky. While part of the young man's lower body (from the front at least and from about the knees and down) was covered up by the posterior of the 'wolf' the rest of it (from the waist down) was covered up by a swirling mass of what Minako assumed to be either wind or fire. The rosy color of the crystal that the sculpture was composed of made Minako believe that the unknown swirling mass was in fact fire – at least until she had been proven otherwise. The majority of the swirling fire appeared to fan out to the left side of the sculpture, looking almost wing-like in appearance.

Interestingly enough, Minako noticed that while the 'wolf' had no actual tail of its own, when looking at the sculpture directly, the wing-like flames that stuck out to the side of the statue appeared as if they compensated for the lost appendage. In a surprising discovery, Minako was able to count a total of nine tails to add to the 'wolf's' now complete form. Minako's breath had slightly hitched in her throat as this new insight had forcefully reminded her of the Nine-Tailed fox demon that lay dormant within her soul; effectively refuting her now childish 'wolf' assumption.

However; even amidst her recent discovery, the top-most figure that took up the remaining height of the statue nearly halted her breathing patterns all together. Standing proudly, at the summit of a mountain-like rock formation, with her right arm raised high above her head was the shockingly familiar form of a beautiful long-haired woman, wrapped among the tangles of thorny vines. Held vertically within the palm of her other hand, in front of her torso, was a circular object that looked like a very recognizable mirror.

Only one thing completely centered over Minako's thoughts:

_T-THAT'S MICHIKO?! _

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** 6500+ words…which means that this chapter is EVEN LONGER than the previous one. Yay me! I was immensely surprised at how this chapter turned out. I totally didn't plan on it having literary elements highly reminiscent of the Inuyasha series but for some reason, now that this chapter has been written, I have realized that I have now been bestowed with more room for surprise twists later on in the story. I hope it continues to work out well in the end but what I really hope for is for all of you readers out there to continue liking my story now that this new angle has been added into the mix.

I have essentially made it my policy to make my chapters longer if the waiting period between new chapters exceeds the 3 month mark. I have a feeling that the majority of you found the 2nd half of this chapter to be MUCH more interesting than the blander 1st half. I know I did. I'll try to juggle putting forth quality chapters on top of school and extra-curricular activities. Stay tuned!

**(1)** For the sake of my story, these 'medic-nin ranks' are completely the product of my own imagination. I just used them so that the 'mission profile' sounded a little bit more official and sophisticated.

**(2)**_ Dangos_ are small, skewered, sweet rice dumplings with a sticky filling. _Taiyakis_ are a Japanese fish-shaped, filling-filled cake. The most common filling found in a taiyaki is sweetened _an_ (red bean paste). More modern flavours include custard, cheese, and yes even chocolate – as in the one that Minako was eating. If you're ever in Japan, try the chocolate flavoured ones. SOO GOOD!

**(3)** _Tatejiku_ – The anglicized term that would most closely fit the description of a tatejiku would be a 'Wall Scroll'.

**(4)** For a clearer visual depiction of what I was getting at, research 'Hanafuda' – a popular card game in Japan.

**(5) **I got the name Michiko, not only from one of my favourite seiyuus, Neya Michiko, but also from the current empress of Japan, whose name is also Michiko. Stay tuned to find out how she became both famous and infamous!

**(6)** For those who are unfamiliar with the terms 'Bijuu' and 'Jinchuriki' they are defined (and literally translated) as 'Tailed Beast' and 'The Power of Human Sacrifice' respectively. A better definition for the latter choice would be a 'Spiritual Medium'; in other words, the human host for a supernatural being.

**(7)** _Getas_ – Visualize the footwear that Jiraiya wears in the Naruto series; those are getas.

**(8)** A _Hakama_ is a type of Japanese clothing, worn on the lower body, that resembles a long and pleated skirt. A good visual would be to look at the uniform that both the students and the senseis wear when practicing the martial art of Aikido.


	10. Her Destiny, Her Triumph

Enchantress

Chapter 10 – Her Destiny, Her Triumph

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

With the events of the previous night still fresh in her mind, Minako's attention became frequently divided ever since she woke up early this morning. The lingering visions of old-man Masato and his statue continued to remain at the forefront of her mental priorities.

_No…it can't be just a coincidence._

In addition, the image of the other Michiko statue that Minako had seen during her mission with Sasuke back in the Earth Country had also inched its way Minako's mind.

_Even though the actual designs of both statues were different, there's no doubt that the primary figure depicted in both sculptures was Michiko. The resemblances between them and the illustrations in that book are uncanny!_

_But…what was that weird feeling that I got when looked at the first statue? And I still can't figure out the reason as to why there were healthy, booming flowers at the base of the statue when they were both underground and surrounded by nothing else but concrete?_

After tending to the medical needs of her most recent patient, Minako quietly exited out of the room and made her way towards Dr. Kimura's office, which was located on the top most floor of the General Clinic. During her commute, Minako began to piece together all of the events that had occurred in her life from between the time of her gender change to her encounter with Masato the previous night.

_I feel like I'm getting closer...but I still feel like I have a long ways to go. How did this happen? Why did it happen? And more importantly, why the hell did it have to be me?!_

The distant memory of Kakashi's earliest words to Team 7 echoed in her mind.

"_A ninja must look underneath the underneath."_

Minako eventually reached Dr. Kimura's office and gently deposited her morning medical folders into the drop box that was mounted up onto the wall right next to the door. _'Underneath the underneath' huh…? _Minako glanced to her right and looked through the window that greeted her; taking in the beautifully lit form of Sunagakure on this pleasantly clear day.

_Hmm…perhaps-_

The notable beeping noise of her communicator (the one that Dr. Kimura had temporarily entrusted to her in case the blonde's immediate services were necessary) snapped Minako back to reality. Without wasting another second, Minako answered the incoming transmission and calmly made her way towards the main level operating rooms.

"Have a wonderful night girls! Once again, thank you for all of your hard work and assistance on yet another successfully productive day. You three truly are a godsend for both this hospital and our village."

"Oh stop Emi-san it's all in a days work! I think I can safely say for the three of us that the satisfaction of knowing that we are saving lives is the greater reward for our efforts. Am I right girls?"

Sakura and Minako simultaneously smiled in earnest at the middle-aged receptionist that Ino was completing her final medical form in front of.

"And besides, it doesn't hurt to get a little field work every now and then right? All of this experience is just going to evolve us into better medics with every call." Said Sakura.

"The date…and my signature, and…there! Here you go Emi-san! That's the last of 'em."

"Thank you Ino-chan."

"Anytime!"

"Take care! And see you three tomorrow!"

"We will! Good night!"

Once she saw the girls disappear behind the hospital's main entrance doors, Emi hummed a little tune to herself as she began to wrap up her clerical duties for the night.

After a nice and hearty meal at a local eatery, the three girls decided to make their way back towards their room at the inn and call it a night. While Sakura and Ino were busy catching up on some small talk involving how the other's day had been, Minako silently scanned her surroundings and noticed some very familiar landmarks while she was at it.

_Wait...that's the kiosk where I bought my dango last night! _Minako looked ahead and noticed another familiar kiosk. _And there's where I bought my chocolate taiyaki! Which means..._

Minako quickly moved to the side and directed her gaze some distance ahead of her; trying her hardest to pinpoint a particular shop. And sure enough, she noticed the partially visible forms (she was viewing them at an angle) of calligraphic tatejiku, partially lit up from the glow of two nearby paper lanterns, displayed behind a large window.

_Masato's store!_

Minako quickly looked back at the other two and let the excuses fly.

"Um guys? I uh, just remembered that I have to go...mail a letter! Yeah that's it! I meant to write back to my friends in my village a couple of hours ago during my last break of the day, but my afternoon was just packed. I can't believe it actually took me until now to remember it."

The other two ceased their conversation and directed their gazes towards their yellow-clad companion.

"Hmm? Oh. Alright Minako-chan."

"Would you like us to accompany you? It is getting a little late and the courier station is quite the trek from our current position."

"Not to mention that it's well past the hospital in the opposite direction no less."

"N-no, no, no help is necessary thank you. I uh just remembered seeing a few courier boxes at the hospital receptionist's desk, just behind Emi-san, during our little talk with her not too long ago. And besides," Minako gently patted her utility pouch, "I've got my map and I could always ask for directions in case I somehow manage to get lost along our usual route to the hospital, you know, as a last resort kind of thing."

Sakura and Ino smiled and nodded back towards the other blonde.

"Alright then. We'll see you soon back at the inn Minako-chan!"

"Be careful!"

Minako smiled, "Can do!"

With one final nod, Sakura and Ino vanished from sight and headed towards the general vicinity of the inn; which was exactly what Minako had wanted them to do.

_Thankfully they didn't just continue walking back. I would've hated to do any unnecessary waiting just to ensure that they didn't see me._

Without a moment's notice, Minako quickly dashed towards Masato's shop, immediately stopping in front of the store to regroup and collect her thoughts.

_I need answers…and the old man is going to be the one who will give them to me._

After a quick clearing of her throat, Minako made a few audible knocks on the large double doors that stood before her and waited.

* * *

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds...and still no answer. Time was moving agonizingly slow for the impatient blonde.

"Masato-jiisan!" A couple of more slightly louder knocks. "Masato-jiisan!"

_Ugh...is he even here?! I mean I know the shop is closed but where else would I be able to find an old man who only met just yesterday?_

Minako fidgeted for a few moments but went to the display windows shortly after to try and take a quick peek inside.

_Dammit! The stupid tatejiku and the purple curtains behind it are blocking everything! Argh!_

Minako went back to the doors for one last try.

_Come on answer. Answer! ANSWER DAMMIT!_

"Masato-jiisan! Masato-jii-"

The sudden click of the door coupled with Masato's slightly disgruntled comments about 'impatience' and 'rude people' made Minako gasp in both surprise and delight. The old man still wore the same outfit that he sported last night during their first encounter.

"Oh good! You're here!"

Masato was taken aback by his unexpected guest. "Oh! Minako? Is that you?"

Minako looked back at the Masato in moderate surprise.

"Y-yes! Yes it's me Masato-jiisan." _Wow...for an old guy he's got some pretty impressive memory skills. _

Without even thinking about waiting for a response from the old man, Minako's pent up excitement had completely overridden her sense of common courtesy.

"Now first, I would like to apologize for coming to visit you at such an awkward time and on such short notice and even though we only met yesterday there's really no real reason for the both of us to have this little meeting in the first place but I was wondering if-"

The amused and slightly clueless look that was etched across Masato's face made Minako cease her rapid-fire talking all together. Reality came crashing down on her when she realized at how ridiculous she must have looked from an outsider's POV. Her face began to heat up as all forms of verbal communication died out in her throat.

"U-uh...um..."

Masato greeted the young blonde back with a light-hearted laugh and a smile.

"My, my. Aren't _we_ a little zealous this evening?"

Minako brought one of her hands up to her face in an attempt to ease her embarrassment.

"S-sorry. I was...just..."

"No need for apologies young lady. Why don't you on come inside for a little bit and take a few moments to calm down your nerves?"

"T-thanks Masato-jiisan."

"Not a problem. And please, just call me Masato. There is no need for formalities around me."

"Alright. Masato."

Masato gently closed the door behind Minako as the blonde stepped into the store.

"May I offer you something to drink? It may help accelerate the calming process."

Minako blushed in embarrassment. "U-uh...j-just some water would be fine thanks."

Masato smiled. "I shall return shortly."

"Ahh!" Minako felt refreshed. "Whew...I needed that. Thanks Masato."

"You're very welcome my dear." Masato retrieved the cup from the young blonde's hands and gently set it aside. "Now, if I may be so inclined to ask, what sort of business do you have with me at this hour? Was there something that you needed me for? Judging by the volume of your shouting it seemed to be quite urgent."

Minako blushed again at the memory of her erratic behaviour only moments ago. "Y-yes!" Minako cleared her throat. "Yes, there is something that I need your help on. I uh, was wondering; if it's not too much a problem, if you could…tell me a little bit more about Michiko's story?"

"Is that all? Well, I don't have much to do tonight and I suppose I can spare a couple of moments to assist in your queries. Sure, I'd be happy to help you Minako."

Minako's eyes brightened up. "R-really? Thanks Masato!"

"Not a problem. Now, is there any event in particular that you would like me to talk to you about? Michiko did encounter quite a lot during her life time, despite how tragically short it may have been."

"Oh…" Minako's built up excitement had rapidly drained out of her system. Her body felt heavy and strangely cold at this surprising news. _She…died young?_

Noticing the girl's discomfort, Masato decided to continue on. "This may seem a little inappropriate but while we're on the topic…would you like to learn more about how Michiko spent her last few moments on Earth?"

Minako slowly raised her head to look directly into Masato's wise, dark grey eyes. "Y-yes…i-if you don't mind."

Masato gently smiled at the anticipative blonde. "Not a problem. If you don't mind, please follow me."

Minako did as she was told and allowed Masato to direct her towards a more secluded section of his shop.

As she watched Masato tend to the hearth that was situated in the middle of a traditional tatami-matted room (a far cry from the extravagant treasury-like appearance of the shop only one room away), Minako decided to make herself comfortable by kneeling down on one of the large navy blue cushions that were situated on either side of the hearth – Masato had kindly requested of her to remove her footwear prior to stepping into his 'meditation chamber' **(1)**. The room was also spruced up with a few decorations, including a few tatejiku, _Wow…the old man sure loves his decorative scrolls_, and a small incense altar located against the wall to Minako's left.

Once the fire had reached an adequate size, Masato took his place on the other cushion, directly facing Minako from behind the luminous glow of the crackling flames.

"So…where would you like to begin?"

Minako stared into the flames for a few moments before looking back at Masato.

"Do you remember the book that I was holding in my hands yesterday night when my team-mates and I first met you?"

"The Age of Anarchy…"

"Yes. If it is possible, I would like you to begin from a particular chapter that had caught my interest as I was skimming through the book. One of the near-end chapters entitled: _The Final Ritual_."

Masato mentally prepared himself for a few moments before nodding back at Minako in understanding.

"Very well. However, I will warn you before hand that the story may end up being longer than you might have initially anticipated. Should you ever feel the need for me to stop at any point during my narration, please don't hesitate do so. I will not take it offensively."

Minako felt an awkward sense of empowerment from Masato's request.

"O-oh. Alright then."

A single nod was all that Minako received in return.

"Now, as your friend had previously stated the other night, I believe her name was Ino if I remember correctly."

"That is correct."

"Thank you. As Ino had mentioned the previous night, Michiko was the sole figure responsible for sealing away all nine of world's most powerful bijus, subsequently putting an end to the Black Lotus War and beginning the world's first era of peace, which was formally dubbed as 'The Halcyon' **(2)**."

Minako nodded in interest.

"The Age of Anarchy truly was one of the more…darker time periods of the world. It was at that time where man's greatest vice – the lust for power – became prominent among the majority of the word's most powerful leaders.

Many warriors fought valiantly to protect their homes and their loved ones, but bravery and pure strength of will alone did not guarantee a fight to the finish. Many children became orphaned due to the large number of parents that have fought and died for that sake of their futures. Some families even had their entire bloodlines extinguished all together."

Minako was overcome with sympathy.

"As I mentioned before, the nine bijus that we know today are the world's most powerful demons. However, it is widely believed that 'Hell's strongest commanders' have only been alive for roughly 500 years **(3)**.

"Only?! But I thought that they were older than that! Well…_much_ older than that to be honest."

"While there is no solid evidence that this number is valid, many scholars have discovered a plausible explanation as to why the bijus are believed to be relatively young in terns of demon years. After numerous years of archaeological and mythological research, a fairly recent legend has stated that Hell used to belong to a single ruling entity: a powerful and bloodthirsty demon lord by the name of Zaigou **(4)**.

For centuries, Zaigou had always been at war with Kami **(5)**, the supreme ruler of heaven, for the ultimate prize of obtaining as many human souls as he could. By doing so, Zaigou would be able to break free from his imprisonment in Hell and ultimately rise against Kami for exiling him out of Heaven aeons ago."

"W-wait…you mean to tell me that Zaigou, was once a heavenly deity?" **(6)**

"It seems to be quite probable, given his desire to battle against Heaven. 'Zaigou' was not the demon lord's original name of course, but so far there have not been any records citing what his original name was, or could have been, prior to his banishment."

"Hmm…"

"Now, as much as I'd like to continue on with my tangent about the world's theological beginnings, I would like to I get back on topic and continue with the tale of Michiko's Final Ritual; but do be aware that my little anecdote will prove to be of great importance later on."

Minako nodded. "Sure thing Masato."

"Very well. Now, during the feudal era, Zaigou's power had begun to grow at an alarming rate due to the increasing number of corrupted souls that he was receiving upon the death of countless sinners. Criminals, murderers, blasphemers…all of them became Zaigou's sole property because of their tarnished and impure essences.

Kami knew that it would not be long before Zaigou's growing power eventually broke the seal which kept him imprisoned in the underworld and leaked into the mortal world. Should this circumstance ever come to be, the demon lord would be bestowed with the ability to claim all of the 'living souls' as his own, gaining enough minions to challenge heaven itself and finally destroy Kami for his eternal humiliation. Something had to be done.

Since Kami and all other heavenly beings do not desire to interfere with the affairs of the earth, the holy ruler knew that he would have to entrust this highly dangerous task within the hands of humans, particularly ones with high spiritual affinities. These were the individuals whose souls were said to have been blessed with a fraction of Kami's own power during its rebirth."

"Masato, if I may interrupt, how come Kami and his heavenly followers did not wish to 'interfere with the affairs of the earth' as you put it?"

"Mortals were meant to earn their place in the afterlife without possessing any prior knowledge of Heaven or Hell's actual existence. If that was the case, humans would obviously fight for their place in Heaven through selfish and dishonest means: the exact opposite of how Kami intended his 'children' to achieve post-existential salvation."

"Oh…and uh, one more question if you don't mind. What did you mean by 'a soul's rebirth'?"

Masato smiled. "All in due time my dear."

Minako pouted on the inside. The story was getting extremely interesting.

* * *

"Now where was I? Ah yes. Now, these special souls were prophesied by many earthbound seers to become the humans destined to lead mankind to peace and prosperity upon the day of reckoning.

There were three, sixteen-year-old youths in particular that were specifically chosen by Kami himself to wield the three heavenly objects that would vanquish Zaigou upon his resurrection. They were:

Yamato: the eldest son of a valiant provincial warlord belonging to the Kusanagi Clan.

Shinnosuke: the eldest son of a Buddhist monk belonging to the Yasakani Clan.

And of course, Michiko: the only daughter of a widowed High Priestess belonging to the Yata Clan. **(7)**

The three prestigious clans initially belonged to three separate nations before Yamato, Shinnosuke, and Michiko united to become the 'Heavenly Trinity.' Upon their union, the three clans migrated towards a 'middle point' which evenly distanced each clan's respective home villages from this new settlement; a sort of 'epicentre' of you will.

Using today's modern geography, the Kusanagi clan would have originated from the Thunder Country, the Yasakani from the Earth Country, and the Yata from the Wind Country. As for the clans' new establishment, it would more than likely be located somewhere within the north-western quadrant of Fire Country."

Minako had a quick thought to herself about the three youths. _Hmm… could they have been the world's first three-man team?_

"The three treasures that Kami had bestowed to these youths consisted of a sword, a jewelled necklace, and a mirror: each one representing the three primary virtues of valour, benevolence and wisdom, respectively.

Yamato was entrusted with the sword, Shinnosuke with the necklace, and Michiko with the mirror. Each treasure was specifically created to slay, bind and seal Zaigou upon his immediate restoration.

The battle was immense but in the end, the youths had proved victorious. The demon lord fell to the mercy of the Heavenly Trinity."

Minako felt a strange warmth spread across her body as she had her own little vision of what the battle might have looked like. _So cool…_

"However, during the time of Zaigou's sealing, the task that was entrusted to Michiko, something else had happened that no one, not even Kami himself, could have ever predicted."

And just like that, the warmth was gone. "What was that?"

"Instead of simply sealing Zaigou away back into the deepest pits of Hell, as Kami had originally intended the mirror to function as, Michiko's impressive spiritual powers, combined with the divine powers of the mirror, had actually separated Zaigou's collective power into nine, lesser-powered divisions before banishing them from the mortal world back into Hell."

Minako stared back in awe. "Impressive..." Masato nodded back.

"Indeed. Because of this occurrence, Michiko was able to successfully and significantly reduce the probability of Zaigou's reawakening, should such an event ever occur. The world was safe for the time being."

The blonde felt a strange sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach as soon as Masato mentioned the number nine. She didn't really know why that was so.

"But, while everyone continued to rejoice at a demon-free world, Michiko felt unhappy at her accomplishment."

"Why is that Masato?"

"Michiko was a loving and caring individual. She believed that not everything, including demons, was entirely evil. She believed that it was quite possible for some of the lesser demons to peacefully coexist with humanity, if they were given the chance."

Minako looked back at Masato in both surprise and confusion.

"Well, as one could possibly imagine, Michiko was the subject of much ridicule for a time, for the likelihood of her beliefs ever becoming a reality was absolutely ludicrous. Many individuals dismissed her foolish visions of a peaceful human-demon society as nothing more than a child's fantasy. Even Michiko's own mother and fellow clan members could not help but feel shame at the heiress' embarrassing ideologies.

Fortunately for Michiko, there were a few others who wanted to see the young priestess' dream come to fruition. Some showed great interest in her vision while others simply wanted to live in a world that would completely overturn the way that society was structured.

One of these individuals was her team-mate: Yamato of the Kusanagi clan. The handsome warrior was not only known for his exceptional prowess as a soldier, considering his age, but he was also quite popular among commoners as a kind and caring young man; a very rare occurrence for an entire bloodline of stoic and battle-hardened swordsmen back in those days."

"Really?"

Masato nodded. "In addition to being highly supportive of his team-mate's hopes and ambitions, Yamato had also harboured strong feelings of love and affection for the young priestess; stopping at nothing to ensure that her happiness was guaranteed."

Minako couldn't help but smile at thought of their romance.

"Now you may call it bold or you may call it foolish, but one day Yamato and Michiko ventured alone, unbeknownst to their respective clans, to tap into the holy barrier that Kami had created which isolated Hell from the world of mortals, with intention of actually befriending a demon."

Minako gasped.

"With the use of the mirror, combined with Yamato's expert knowledge of geography, the pair eventually stumbled upon a particular point in the world where the barrier between Hell and Earth was fairly weak.

It was at this location where only a few of Hell's lowest-ranking demons, intangible spirits and apparitions if you may, would sneak into the mortal world to perform small and often harmless acts of mischief upon any innocent bystander unfortunate enough to cross their path."

"Hmm...interesting." Minako adjusted her seating position as her legs started to grow numb.

"It was spiritually tiring for the young priestess, but Yamato and Michiko had eventually released a demon of their liking, with the use of the mirror, from the depths of Hell with great success – the pair was just one step closer to achieving their dreams of a symbiotic human-demon society.

Unfortunately for them, they received a lot more than they had initially bargained for. You see, the demon that they had unleashed was actually one of the nine divisions of Zaigou's power that Michiko had sealed away some time ago; only this time, the division had somehow manifested itself into a solid and physical form."

"W-what did this demon look like?"

"A large red-furred fox, equipped with nine visible tales. You may know the demon today as the famed Kyuubi no Yoko."

Minako froze. "S-so...y-you mean to tell me t-that..."

Masato simply nodded. "Now you can understand as to why Michiko was sometimes referred to as 'The Mother of the Demons': she was the individual responsible for essentially 'giving birth' to the nine bijus."

* * *

Minako unconsciously brought a hand down to her torso, letting it rest right in front of the spot where the Kyuubi's seal had been branded on her body. Masato noticed the girl's discomfort but continued on regardless.

"Now as you may have already guessed at this point, the remaining eight divisions of Zaigou's demonic power had also assumed physical forms of their own, but each one was highly differentiated from the next; no two bijus ever shared the same characteristics.

It took a lot of time, patience, and hard work but the pair was able to miraculously convince the Kyuubi that they had no intentions of ever harming her or her kin – it was quite remarkable for them to learn that the Kyuubi did not only harbour a specific gender but that she was also a mother. "

"H-how is that possible? I-I mean, given the assumed time frame of the story, the nine divisions of Zaigou's power had not even been sealed for a single year!...I think..."

"That you are correct Minako. I think that this phenomenon had stemmed from the fact that the Kyuubi was not created like a regular demon. It seems quite probable to assume so don't you think?"

Minako cleared her throat. "I guess..."

"Well, if you can just picture the amount of time that it took for the Kyuubi to warm up to only two humans, you could only imagine how long it took for the demon to warm up to a few villages; not to mention the fact that said villages were also in possession of a large number of soldiers, priestesses and monks specializing in demonic slaying and purification."

Minako gulped. "Y-yeah..."

"But through it all, Yamato and Michiko's hard work had finally paid off, for their villages and clans welcomed the powerful demon with open arms. As a demon of exceptional power, the Kyuubi was bestowed with the ability to change its appearance at will so it was not hard for the demon to cleverly disguise herself as something a little less intimidating.

Like most higher-level demons, the Kyuubi is also capable of human speech, subsequently making all means of communication between herself and any other humans much more convenient. Her fairly frequent visits to the village had imposed a high sense of protection and safety among its residents. As a result, the once highly volatile biju's overall impressions of the human race had become gradually positive over the years.

Time eventually passed and Michiko could practically feel her dream of a peaceful coexistence between humans and demons coming true. Much had occurred during that time as Michiko had not only established a romantic relationship with Yamato but she had also received a faithful demonic companion as well: a young white-furred fox pup by the name of Koki **(8)**, birthed from the Kyuubi herself."

"W-wait a minute...a white-furred pup? How is that even possible if the Kyuubi had red fur?"

Masato had an answer for the inquisitive blonde.

"Well, it is quite probable that the Kyuubi had mated with a Kitsune, an earth-bound fox spirit of divine origins **(9)**, thus allowing it to give birth to a white pup. Since Kitsunes are the believed to be only supernatural foxes to possess white fur, it seems only logical for a fully demonic fox to give birth to offspring like Koki, only if it had mated with a Kitsune."

"Oh..."

Masato simply continued on with the story after observing that Minako had no additional questions.

"Michiko had adored and loved Koki ever since he was entrusted to her from the Kyuubi. The privilege of a demon bestowing mutual ownership of one of its kin to anything other than itself, let alone a human, was the greatest honour that Michiko could have ever asked for. No matter where the priestess or her beloved were located, you could be certain that Koki was not too far behind. The three were inseparable.

This act of pure trust and companionship between the Kyuubi and Michiko had marked the dawn of a new era; one where both humans and demons alike, coexisted harmoniously.

Michiko's unbelievable ability to successfully establish this bond of friendship with a powerful demon coupled with her serene beauty and loving heart, had resulted in the young priestess being affectionately dubbed by her peers as "The Enchantress." It seemed as though that there was nothing alive that Michiko could not 'enchant' for lack of a better word."

Minako made a small laugh at Masato's pun.

"But then, as some times happened, the balance of nature shifted. It wasn't long before the knowledge of a full-fledged demon submitting to the demands of a human had spread. Soon, spiritualists from all four corners of the world began to dive into the darkest of magics in the hopes of achieving the same feat but for reasons far more sinister than recognition."

"U-um...magic?"

"Yes, magic. The majority of today's ninja techniques are actually derivations of magical spells that have existed since the feudal era. While the general mechanics of executing spells, when compared to jutsus, may be different, the overall processes are more or less the same."

"Really...?" _Hmm...learn something new every day._

"Now, while Michiko's mirror was highly effective in terms of penetrating through Kami's barrier, it is definitely not the only method doing so. Many practitioners of the dark arts even went so far as to uncover and utilize forbidden spells and incantations that were composed by ancient magic users from long forgotten times.

Before long, the unthinkable had occurred: a passageway, large enough to unleash all of Hell's demons, was created, thus plunging the entire world into supreme chaos. Countless lives were lost and innocent blood had been spilled. No matter which side you pledged your allegiance to: enemies, allies, royalty, nobility, common folk…if you were not careful, your life would not have been spared, no matter how significant your existence may have been. This was how 'The Age of Anarchy' achieved its namesake."

Minako let out a heavy sigh as she had a feeling that Masato's story was drawing to a close.

"Not even demons were spared from the global-scale massacre. All of bijus, excluding the Kyuubi no Yoko, were captured and enslaved by the hands of these dark arts practitioners. Each country that had successfully claimed 'forced ownership' of a demon did all that they could to exterminate anyone and anything that dared to stand against them. There were even instances where a biju would be pitted up against another biju in an attempt to annihilate one's competitors.

However, there was only one nation, one which was also in possession of a biju, that chose to fight for the sake of peace."

"Kyuubi and the three clans..."

"Correct. It was once again up to the 'Heavenly Trinity,' along with the additional assistance of the Kyuubi, to return the world back to its shortly lived moments of peace. Unfortunately, Michiko was highly adamant in her refusal to use her powers against other humans. In top of that, her unconditional affections for the Kyuubi and Koki further enforced her decision to remain out of the battle; it was hard for her to accept the fact that she would have to use her powers against demons as well."

"B-but…the entire world was on the brink of destruction!"

"It was. Many people scorned Michiko for her candour. It was blatantly obvious that without her sealing powers, the demons would continue to pour into the mortal world and cause more unnecessary killing. It was common knowledge that the majority of demons possessed no conscious thought of their own. If anything, they were nothing more than vicious animals. But being the compassionate soul that she was, Michiko did not side with that argument. Spending too much time with highly intelligent demons had forced the priestess to believe that all demons behaved that way as well.

However, that mistake ended up being Michiko's downfall."

Minako gulped.

"Sometime during the great war, all of the Kyuubi's kin had been slain on the battle field. She did not observe who or what had killed her older pups, but she did bear witness to a human mercilessly slaughter her youngest pup."

Minako's heart clenched. "Koki…"

Masato nodded solemnly. "Consumed with rage and anguish at the thought of humans betraying her trust and taking her for a fool, the Kyuubi lost all sense of self control and unleashed her fury.

Out of all nine bijus, the Kyuubi no Yoko was the strongest one of them all. Even though she spent selective moments of her time in the mortal world, the Kyuubi's sheer power, when compared to the remaining eight bijus, was not only infinite, but it also possessed the ability to became progressively stronger overtime.

It seems quite probable that when Michiko had first split Zaigou into nine separate sections, the entity that eventually evolved into the Kyuubi, contained the largest amount of Zaigou's original power and demonic life force. But that's just a theory."

Minako was preparing herself for the worst.

"Much like with Michiko's unplanned sealing from before, the Kyuubi had also done something that no one could have ever expected. Being the strongest demon out of them all, she somehow managed to assimilate all of the demons that were currently within the mortal realm, including the remaining eight bijus, and reverted back to her original form: Zaigou had been restored to his former glory. What made things even worse was that the demon lord had finally realized his ambition of existing in the mortal world: fresh human souls were ripe for the picking."

The blonde clutched the sides of the cushion that she was sitting on.

"Horrified at the realization that Zaigou's resurrection was the result of her naivety, Michiko finally knew that the fate of the entire world was all up to her. Calling upon the assistance of Shinnosuke and her beloved Yamato once again, the Heavenly Trinity battled the demon lord for a second time.

Unfortunately, his powers had increased exponentially since the trio had first encountered him roughly five years prior. Yamato, Shinnosuke, Michiko and all of the world's finest warriors and spiritualists were no match for the newly awakened demon lord. All hope seemed lost."

Minako's breathing became heavy.

"But just then, a miraculous thing had occurred. Kami, the supreme ruler of Heaven, inhabited Michiko's body and assisted the young priestess in what was proclaimed throughout the entire land as: The Final Ritual.

The divinely possessed priestess collected the remaining two treasures from her team-mates and transported both herself and Zaigou towards Hakurei-Zan **(10)** – a tall and majestic mountain range that was surrounded by an abnormally holy aura.

By isolating Zaigou away from any innocent civilians in the very place where his absolute power would be at its weakest, in the mortal world at least, Michiko would then be able perform the Final Ritual and bring an end to Zaigou's existence once and for all. Much like the first sealing, Michiko's Final Ritual divided up Zaigou's power once again but instead of resealing all nine sections back into Hell like the first time; Michiko performed a slightly different sealing ritual. This second sealing imprisoned all nine powers into nine separate containers. Once this process was complete, the priestess then scattered the containers across the globe in nine random locations.

By placing a secondary seal on top of these containers, additionally fortified by Kami's holy energies, the bijus' powerful demonic auras would become grossly inhibited, left to remain undetected by future spiritualists who would dare to seek their power once again. In addition, by keeping the bijus out of Hell, the privilege of having their powers continuously grow, as it had done before, would be forever kept out of their reach."

"T-then what happened…?"

"Using the last of her powers, Michiko reformed Kami's barrier, purified any malevolent demons that remained on Earth, and restored the lives of the innocents that had died on the battle field. In addition, she even managed to bestow the world with a handful of 'good demons' to continue her legacy of a peaceful human-demon society; how she managed to do so exactly still remains unclear. The world had finally begun the first era of true peace: The Halcyon."

Minako's body felt heavy.

"There were no witnesses to Michiko's rise to victory, but all of Hakurei-Zan's powerful holy energies were found to have been completely extinguished; reforming the once sacred land formation into nothing more than an ordinary mountain range.

When countless search parties were formed with the intention of locating the brave heroine, the unexpected truth had left the entire world stricken with grief. Michiko's body was found at Hakurei-Zan's summit; cold, lifeless, and completely wrapped among a strange throne of thorny vines **(11)**. She was only 21."

Minako's delicate features held a defeated look.

"Located at the fallen priestess' feet were Yamato's sword and Shinnosuke's necklace: both completely drained of their divine properties, thus becoming nothing more than common objects. The two treasures were gently nestled within the center of an impressively large and fully bloomed black lotus flower. The mirror however was nowhere to be found.

This bloody era of the world that had occurred from between the emancipation of the nine bijus to the final battle between Michiko and Zaigou was dubbed as: _The Black Lotus War_ – receiving its namesake from the mysterious and otherworldly flower that had blossomed from the Enchantress' place of death. The revered resting place would later then be reformed into a memorial shrine, dedicated to Michiko's honour, as a sanctuary of hope and eternal gratitude for being the saviour of the world."

The last remaining embers of the hearth that sat in between the pair during Masato's story had finally burned out into fine wisps of smoke.

"And thus ends the tale of the Enchantress."

Minako continued to stare at the ash-laden hearth in silence.

* * *

"Oh goodness, would you look at the time?!"

Minako pulled out her pocket watch at Masato's exclamation and nearly jumped out of her seat after realizing that it was just after 11pm.

_Oh crap! How am I supposed to convince Sakura and Ino that I had spent the last hour and a half writing some bogus letter?!_

Masato had a little laugh. "I think it's about time that I sent you off Minako. I do hope that my seemingly endless rambling didn't keep you away from anything important this evening. It's a very bad habit of mine that I'm trying my very best to fix."

"No, no that's fine Masato. Really. Your story had kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire time! In all honesty, I didn't really want it to end."

Masato's kind grandfatherly eyes made Minako cave in a little.

"Well…ok that's sort of a lie. I mean, it is kind of hard sitting in one position for a long time, given the fact that I hate sitting still, but all in all, you have really gotten me hooked to Michiko's story. I just can't help but want to learn more about her."

_Even though I didn't really get the answers that I wanted, at least I was given SOME insight into that weird statue during my mission with Sasuke…kind of…_

"No matter. As long as it kept you interested, I was more than happy to tell it to you."

Masato escorted Minako back to the front entrance of his shop.

"Have a pleasant night Minako. And please, give my sincerest apologies to any individuals who desired your services during your time with me."

"For the last time Masato, don't worry about it!" _I am NOT looking forward to the awkward questions that those two are going to bombard me with._

"Well, if you say so. But do keep that apology in mind in case anyone does ask where you've been for the last little while. Good night Minako. And tell your other two comrades that I say 'Hello' and that I also wish you three the best of luck during your mission here in Sunagakure."

"I will. Good night Masato."

After one final wave between the two, Masato gently closed the door and locked up his store for the rest of the night. Masato sighed heavily as he noticed his hands 'flicker' in and out of their solidity. He slowly raised one of them up to take a closer look at his virtually transparent palm; firmly realizing that it his eyes were not deceiving him.

"Time is running short…" He clenched his hand into a fist and watched as the appendage gradually reverted back to normal. "But I MUST not let her down. The fate of the entire world rests on her shoulders once more."

_

* * *

_

_Meanwhile…_

Three figures, barely visible to even each other due to their extremely dim surroundings, were carefully treading along the ancient stone path of some underground ruins hundreds of miles away from civilization.

"So this is the place?"

"From what our Intel has gathered, yes."

"Be on the alert. There have been numerous reports citing some strange and unexplained activities occurring with in these ruins."

"Are there any particular examples that we should be aware of?"

"Shh…do you hear that?"

The three figures ceased their walking and focused their attention towards their hearing.

"Yeah…we're not alone."

"WATCH OUT!

TBC

**

* * *

**

**A/N:** The main plot of this entire chapter is based upon the actual mythological tale of Japan's _Sanshu no Jingi_ ("The Imperial Regalia of Japan"). I hope the massively long pages of dialogue didn't bore you guys. If it did, stay tuned for Chapter 11! I'm currently writing it up as we speak! I promise it will be a lot more interesting!

I will also be using a slightly different 'in-chapter section division symbol,' due to the new text specifications that has implemented to all of the stories. As some of you may have noticed all of my previous chapters and other stories have had all of their dividing sections (i.e. between my author's notes and the rest of the story) completely nuked.

**(1)** For a better depiction of what Masato's "Meditation Room" looks like, just envision the interior of rooms required for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

**(2)** Halcyon – The term used to describe 'golden' or 'marked by peace and prosperity.' Synonymous with 'calm.' Kind of gives off that FFX feel doesn't it?

**(3)** 500 years was derived from the amount of time that Higurashi Kagome (from Takahashi Rumiko's original manga series: Inuyasha) was able to travel back and forth from the present to the feudal era.

**(4)** Zaigou – The Japanese word for 'sin.' It can also mean a 'rural district'! XD

**(5)** Kami – The Japanese word for 'spirit' in the Shinto faith. Regardless of what you read, 'Kami' DOES NOT translate to 'God' nor 'a deity.' The sources that mention otherwise have wrong information.

**(6)** Yeah, added a modern Christian twist to this mythological tale. Does my story seem a little out of taste for doing so?

**(7)** Koki – The first name of the seiyuu that provided the voice of Roxas in the Kingdom Hearts II video game for the PS2: Uchiyama Koki.

**(8)** Now I know that 'Yamato' is also the name a currently existing character in the Naruto Manga but hey, it's not a crime for two people to have the same name correct? The name 'Yamato' originates from 'Yamato Takeru,' a prominent figure in Japanese mythology who wields the holy sword named 'Kusanagi'.

Coincidence? Nope! I intentionally made _my_ 'Yamato' a sort of carbon-copy of the mythological Yamato. And yes I am aware that 'Yamato' and 'Takeru' are also the names of two characters from the Digimon series.

'Shinnosuke' is derived from the name of a character from SNK's Last Blade video game series for the Neo Geo: Kagami Shinnosuke. Strangely enough, 'Kagami' means 'mirror' but Michiko in my story wields the mirror, not Shinnosuke. This was purely coincidence.

**(9)** Kitsune – Mythological creatures in Japanese folklore. While the notion of kitsune being fox spirits is consistent with Japanese folklore, the ideas of them being 'earth-bound' but 'of divine origin' are strictly from my imagination. Japanese spirits are, while supernatural, are not originated from heaven.

**(10)** Hakurei-Zan (Mount Hakurei) – The fictional holy mountain range originated and borrowed from the fictional mountain range of the same name and properties belonging to Takahashi Rumiko's original manga: Inuyasha. Did it seem kind of random for me to add this into my story?

**(11)** Although I mentioned (privately) to a few readers that I had completely made up the entire imagery involving 'a woman wrapped among thorny vines,' I now remember that I had actually derived it from a Sailor Moon episode.

This episode was during the very first season of the anime where Sailor Venus (the inspiration behind Minako/Michiko's physical appearance) dies at the North Pole just before the final battle with Queen Beryl. And how was her corpse displayed? Among a bunch of (thorn less) vines. Go and find it on YouTube!


	11. Milestone

Enchantress

Chapter 11 – Milestone

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**A/N:** Read the author's note at the end of the chapter for a full formal apology for being so late in updating. The 1st half of this chapter might be a little boring but the 2nd half of the chapter will be a little more interesting. Promise.

——†——

It had been a few days since Masato's tale of Michiko, the Enchantress, leaving Minako with plenty of time to mull over the details of the story. Despite being nothing more than just a myth, at least to her, Minako couldn't help but feel an odd sense of realism to the so called 'legend.' While the narration had provided a convenient explanation as to how the nine bijus came to be, the blonde continued to wonder as to why she was able to picture the events of Michiko's tale so vividly. She would have easily dismissed this thought as being pointless had it not been for the heavy longing, almost nostalgic, feeling that her body had succumbed to throughout the entire hour and thirty minutes that she had spent with Masato a few nights ago.

_It's just a story. It's just a story. It's just a story._

Minako often chanted this phrase as if it were a mantra in the hopes of convincing her usually one-tracked mind that she was just thinking too hard on some fairytale. However, as effective as it was when it came to performing her medic-nin duties with her undivided attention (sort of), the desired results were seldom met as the blonde's train of thought would always be brought back to the legend in some way, shape or form. Even some of the most mundane objects, with no real relevance whatsoever, would make her think of Michiko's story (i.e. a pair of mini plant shears).

Spending her most recent working days in silence with this kind of inner aggravation had unfortunately cracked Minako's easy-going exterior and even more so, her focus, consequently resulting in the blonde to unconsciously mix the wrong set of chemicals together in her current line of work.

"OH GOD!"

Minako's sudden exclamation had directed a few of the other sand village's toxicologists towards her direction and the sight that had unfolded before them was both surprising and somewhat amusing.

Since the clinic's toxicology lab was generally not in possession of any highly reactive substances, the possibility of any dangerous instances occurring in the workplace was not a major area of concern amongst the health care professionals stationed within its walls. For the time being though, the lab was however in possession of a certain chemical compound that could pose as a potential but nonetheless minor hazard if handled recklessly. And as her luck would have it, Minako had unfortunately triggered the unwanted chemical reaction, somehow making the likely improbable, quite probable. Fortunately for her (as well as for her co-workers), no true resulting damages had taken place.

Minako's vigorous attempt at fanning away the faint purple fumes that were emitting from the test tube of an equally purple solution seemed almost comical, given the circumstances that surrounded it; to put it simply, the large "DO NOT MIX TOGETHER" warning sign in Minako's accompanying procedure manual (for the antidote that she was compounding) should have been a big enough hint towards the potential danger. But due to her lack of focus, it unfortunately wasn't. Despite the solution's bubbling state, it was fortunately not overflowing out of its receptacle, much to the blonde's relief. The present sand medics had calmly halted their own work to assist Minako in remedying her mishap. One of the nearby medics had calmly instructed Minako to put on a filtration mask while the two others began to analyze the contents of Minako's so called 'mixture.'

"I'm SO, SO sorry about this! I honestly have no idea what came over me!" The blonde's incessant apologizing and bowing made the medics sigh mild frustration.

"Everything is alright Minako-san, it was just a minor mistake. Thankfully the solution that you had concocted here was nothing truly dangerous."

"B-but it was bubbling! And smoking!"

"It was just a side effect of adding an excessive amount of the aconite extract into the buffer. The high concentration of the alkaloid substance found in the Aconitum Ferox plant used to make the extract had oxidized the edentate disodium within the diluted solution gradually reforming its chemical structure into a somewhat acidic poison. Not to worry, as you can clearly see, the reaction has now reached equilibrium."

Had Minako received no medic-nin training prior to this event, there would have been no words to describe the amount of confusion to accompany the medic's response; but thanks to Tsunade's stern and somewhat unconventional tutelage, this was not the case. Minako looked towards her workstation and noticed that the bubbling purple solution inside one of her test tubes was indeed stable. Despite having only an acute amount of understanding with regards to the chemistry behind her screw up, Minako was still left shocked and embarrassed at her little episode. Not only will her mess up reflect on her performance as a competent individual but it will also affect her overall impression as a representative of the Konoha medical division on top of her being a Fire Country ninja. She could picture the old hag's reaction right now…and it was looking quite violent. Tsunade had an almost unhealthy obsession in the philosophy of a medic's actions reflecting on the credibility of their respective country.

"Luckily for you, the aconite extract and the diluting solution are two of this lab's most common compounding substances so you can easily retrieve all that has been lost and continue on with your work without delay. I will properly dispose of this," the medic was holding up Minako's test tube, "and you shall proceed with our duties as follows. Since nothing serious had taken place, this incident requires no need to be reported." Minako let out a sigh of relief. "Your compounds can be found in the walk-in refrigerator along the back wall."

Even though he was not yelling or being patronizing in any way, the medic's calm and professional tone still made Minako feel incompetent. Deciding that it would be best to remain quiet about the whole issue, Minako simply nodded to the medic and followed his orders. After she retrieved her chemicals, Minako returned to her workstation and continued on with her laboratory duties in silence. One of the other medics, who was closer in age to Minako than the other two, felt some sympathy for the blonde and decided to being her spirits up.

"Got a lot on your mind?"

Minako glanced towards the light brown-haired, 23 year old, female medic that stood next to her. Even though she wasn't completely sure of it, Minako believed that the medic's name was Natsu.

"H-huh? Oh...um yeah. Yeah, something like that."

Natsu simply nodded. "It's alright Minako-san, we all have our moments. Trust me, you could have done a lot worse had you been given something else to work with. Much like myself on my first day in the lab."

Minako looked back in slight surprise. "_You_, Natsu-san?"

Natsu sheepishly grinned at the younger blonde. "While it may not have been one of my most positive moments as a licensed medic, it had firmly reinforced the practice of being extremely careful when it came to handling chemicals and compounding substances. And I never had another reported incident ever since then. "

Minako dared to ask. "What did you do?"

"Well...let's just say that because of my mistake, I have been practically programmed to glance back at my notes or instructions every five seconds whenever I am in the lab. It's become almost second nature to me."

Minako raised an eyebrow at the unconvincingly vague answer. Natsu noticed the blonde's scepticism and leaned in to whisper.

"Did you ever wonder as to why there is so much walking space in that far corner over there right next to the sliding doors of the walk-in refrigerator?"

"W-well, no not really. It never really caught my attention. Why? What are you getting at?"

Natsu made an almost inaudible giggle. "Two additional work tables used to be there. Well, that is, until I managed to corrode them away from existence."

Minako's eyes widened. She was left speechless.

"Whether you choose believe it or not, that nightmare genuinely happened. And if THAT didn't teach me a lesson in laboratory safety, nothing would. Dr. Kimura, your mission representative and one of the members of the Sand Village's medical committee, decided to leave that area empty in order to remind all current and future medics the potential dangers of being careless in the compounding lab. And THAT was considered 'generous' on her part."

Minako was about to say something in response but a stern 'shh' from one of the two older supervising medics made the two girls quickly return to their work. After a few minutes of concentrated silence, Minako felt the slight point of a note that had come into contact with her forearm. She glanced towards Natsu and noticed the brunette make a quick nod in her direction, indicating the blonde to open up the folded piece of parchment. It contained only single sentence with which Minako couldn't help but smirk at:

_Had I not been Dr. Kimura's niece, I could have easily said goodbye to my spine._

It was all that Minako needed to continue the rest of her day without anymore distractions from her previous encounters with Masato, at least for the time being.

——†——

After a few rounds of "goodbyes" and "so longs" to the hospital receptionists and a few passing medics, Minako threw all thoughts of her evening with Sakura and Ino out the window and bolted towards Masato's store without a second though. Refusing to visit the old man for a two nights in a row had not only resulted in extensive thinking (on her part) about his stories but it had also made her feel strangely guilty about being away from him for so long. Given his age, Masato seemed like the kind of elderly man whose only forms of human interaction involved the bystanders that would walk into his store, even if it was just to browse.

Minako never really knew how active Masato's store was during the day, as her previous two visits were both near and during the store's off-hours, but judging from the sheer availability of his merchandise it did not appear as though Masato achieved any significant amount of business as the blond had initially believed. But then again, this was merely through observation and assumption.

As Minako dashed through the dusk-laden streets of the Hidden Sand Village, only one and strangely unexplainable thought was running through her mind:

_I gotta make sure he's okay…_

She never knew why Masato's well-being was her top most priority. Was it because he was elderly? Was it because of his friendly nature that it just seemed wrong to treat him like any other stranger (which he technically still was)? Was it because of the impression that Masato seemed to know a lot more than he lets on?

While it could have been any combination of the three, Minako had definitely sided with the third possibility. Before Masato, Minako was never aware of any mythological tales or legends involving spiritual people and supernatural creatures, let alone the Tale of the Enchantress; for no one had even bothered to approach her on such a subject. For all Minako knew, Michiko could have been an actual historical figure. Her story behind the so called 'creation' of the Nine Bijus seemed believable, to some extent, since any factual evidence surrounding their existences was virtually non-existent, at least to her knowledge.

Little did Minako know that this late night escapade of hers would not be left unnoticed for there were two sets of eyes spying on her retreating form from just around the corner.

——†——

It wasn't long before Minako had eventually reached the trademark double doors of Masato's shop. She took a few moments to herself to not only catch her breath but to also carefully (and mentally) prepare herself with regards to what she wanted to say to him.

_Hmm…I think I'll start off by asking him where Michiko's story had originated from and see where things go from there. It had to come from somewhere right? It's not like some person from hundreds of years in the past made absolutely all of it up right? It just seems…a lot more complex than it should be if it was created simply for the sake of entertainment or sending kids to sleep._ She sighed. _Then again…_

Minako still couldn't shake off the possibility that Michiko's tale was indeed just that: a tale. Never in her entire life had she spent so much time thinking about one particular (and somewhat random) subject. In top of that, it was only recently where she had begun to use logical thinking to deduce her findings for the very first time. _Argh! Even studying for one of the old hag's medical tests is more bearable than this! And I hate them!_ Minako knew that all of this confusion and uncertainty would consume her entire being completely if she didn't find some clues to remedy her gender change soon. Being a female for almost an entire month may have had its ups and downs but ultimately, Minako sorely missed being her original self. She didn't like living behind a lie, constantly forcing herself to fabricate an alternate identity for herself all for the sake of her closest companions avoiding suspicion.

_It's just not worth it. It's too hard for me to continue keeping it up with a straight face._ She snapped her gaze back to the large double doors in front of her. _Every problem leads to a question_. She immediately thought of Masato. _And every question will always have an answer, regardless of how vague it may be_. Minako was just about to touch the large iron knocker before her until a strangely cold chill flow through her entire body, apparently out of no where.

_Something's wrong…_Minako felt the chill grow stronger as a strange force began to tug at her heart, feeling as if a part of her soul was desperate to leave her body.

Then, a disturbing image flashed through her mind: the image of Masato, down on the ground, clutching a hand to his heart and desperately gasping for air. Without question, Minako barged through the doors.

——†——

"Masato! Masato!"

The main body of the store was empty, but it didn't defer Minako from wanting to find the old man. The only other place that she could think of would be the back room that Masato had directed her to when he further shared the Tale of the Enchantress just a few days ago. She glanced around hastily trying to remember where the entrance to Masato's meditation chamber was.

_U-um…I think it was along the back wall, through a hidden opening in the large curtains, and somewhere near that far corner._

As fast as he legs could carry her, Minako dashed for scarlet-draped back wall while trying her very hardest to manoeuvre around the display beds, shelves, mounts and casings that littered the shop's dark mahogany floor. She leaped over the long table, which served as the store's purchasing till, and begin to feel around the vibrant red drapery for the entrance to the meditation chamber while scaling along the wall to her right.

_Come on, come on where are you?!_

While in her search for the back door, Minako suddenly stepped on a hidden panel, which was cleverly disguised amidst the intricate design of a red and yellow throw rug. In her moment of surprise, Minako heard a heavy sliding noise right in front of her. Even though all that could be found in front of her was the heavy scarlet drapery, the blonde assumed that the noise came from behind the fabric. She eventually found a small opening within the drapery, just to her left, and went through the hidden doorway that greeted her.

As she reached the very end of the short hallway, Minako saw Masato just as she did in her vision: on his knees, hunched over and gasping for air. She wasted no time.

"Masato hang on!"

"M-Minako…?"

The blonde made her way in front of the heaving elderly man, got down to her knees and looked straight into his eyes. Her medic persona clicked into overdrive and began her patient questionnaire with Masato.

"How did this happen?"

"It…i-its…" Masato struggled to get his voice out.

"Easy there Masato. Let me help you up. I might be able to get a clearer understanding of your situation when you're not hunched over."

"Minako wait!"

Unfortunately for Masato, his cry was left unheard for the moment the young medic had touched his shoulders, she was flung back with a powerful repellent force. From her spot on the ground, Minako attempted to look back at Masato to simply recollect what had just happened to her but her thoughts and her unspoken words were interrupted by a gradually brightening shine that seemed to emit from the old man's body.

Struck with confusion and a little bit of fear, Minako's heart began to race as the light shone with greater intensity. Accompanying the blinding sight was a faint chiming noise which rang through her ears, additionally growing louder with every passing second.

"W-What's happening?!"

While she couldn't physically see Masato through the illumination, she had heard a hushed but soothing voice which simply told the shaking blond: _"Do not be afraid. You are in no danger…"_ The disembodied voice did not resonate through her ears, but rather, through her mind. Shortly following, she felt her body grow hot and her breathing becoming short. Even though the strange voice had a firm tone to its assurance of her safety, Minako still felt terrified. With her thoughts overcome with thoughts of uncertainty and her senses overpowered by a blinding glare and a painful ring, Minako did the one thing that her body could permit her to do: scream for dear life. Before she knew it, the light that had threatened to engulf her entire being had completely consumed her; mind, body and soul.

——†——

The ringing was gone. The heat coursing through her body was gone. The glare that had shone with such intensity that it partially pierced through her tightly shut eyes was also gone. Believing that the intimidating moment was over, Minako removed her arms, which were crossed protectively in front of her face, and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw after her vision had adjusted was truly unbelievable. Instead of the familiar surroundings of Masato's meditation chamber, Minako was staring at a vast expanse of lush and beautifully green land, decorated with trees and multiple collections of flowers here and there for as far as her eyes could see. Way out into the distance was the majestic formation of snowless mountains. What made things even more surprising was the fact that there was not a single cloud to be seen in the sky.

_Wait…wasn't it night time?_

Minako wasn't able to continue pondering for much longer, for the sound of young children laughing, originating from behind her, had broken her train of thought. It was at that moment when she realized that she was standing at the top of a small flight of stairs, just underneath the impressive form of an elegantly designed, stone shrine arch. She turned around, with the landscape at her back, and noticed that she was actually situated at the entrance of some unknown town. Its entire foundation was laid out with smooth, dark grey stones and all of the buildings (at least the ones that she could currently see) which littered the area, were designed in a fairly archaic fashion: wooden homes, with the occasional stone sculpture at the front, complete with purely sliding doors and curved rooftops composed of ceramic tile.

_Hmm…you don't see very many towns designed like this. Usually it's only one or two buildings that bare such old-fashioned construction._ She scanned her surroundings for a few moments.

"W-where am I?"

Minako immediately brought a hand up to her throat at the sound of her notably deeper voice. She also made a quick glance down at her chest when she did not feel the notable protrusion of her breasts press up against her raised arm. When she was finally able to comprehend the nature of her situation, Minako was left dumbfounded. Her skin had tanned, her chest had flattened and her sorely missed sinewy muscles had returned once again. For some strange and miraculous reason, Minako had reverted back into her original self: back into Naruto.

In addition, Naruto also noticed that he was clothed a in a simple white top and matching pants. The top had no sleeves and the sides were slit from the hem, reaching up to about mid-ribcage. The pants were of an even simpler design, fitting comfortably around the waistline but loose around the legs and ending at just above the ankles. The cool and refreshing breeze that gently caressed his body made the blond feel incredibly relaxed; virtually weightless. Naruto felt his entire being become completely overwhelmed with a powerful sense of inner peace. He never wanted such bliss to end.

However, despite wanting to remain where he was and drink up every last ounce of this newfound comfort, Naruto knew that he had to figure out where exactly he had been transported to and return back to the Sand Village. Judging from the large number of lush trees and patches of open fields, Naruto had the feeling that he could have been relocated somewhere within the vicinity of Fire Country, but this was just a hunch. Naruto was never a good geographer, as he typically relied on his gut instinct or through the guidance of others, but he at least had the decency to ask for directions if he ever needed them; and this was certainly one of those times.

"As nice as this place is, I gotta get back." His anxiousness to return back to his team-mates and Masato (but most especially Masato) was all of the motivation that he needed.

From his position, Naruto made his way further into the village.

——†——

It wasn't long before Naruto stumbled upon a pair of (what he assumed to be) local residents, aimlessly chatting in front of what appeared to be a small produce stand. The vendor of said stand also seemed to be actively engaged in the pair's conversation, providing small bits of input every now and then. Even though it was rude to interrupt other people while they were talking, Naruto knew that he wouldn't get the information that he needed if he chose the polite way and remained quiet. After clearing his throat, Naruto reached out a pointed finger towards the back of the man who was closest to him.

"Excuse me...sir?"

But instead of physically tapping the man's shoulder as he had intended, Naruto's hand had sunk right through it, disappearing completely into the shoulder as if he were ghost. Naruto jerked his hand back in shock.

"W-What the...?!"

Naruto looked back at the three gentlemen and noticed that they were still talking happily amongst each other without even a second glance in his direction. Naruto hesitated for a bit before reaching his hand out to the man once again and just like last time, his hand went straight through. He even tried talking, while dropping an unconsciously made curse every now and then, at very rude volumes but none of that seemed to make much of an affect either. When he felt like his sanity could not handle anymore ignorance, Naruto shouted in exasperation.

"What the hell is going on?!" He slumped his shoulders in defeat.

"Oh would you look at that?! If we don't hurry, we might miss the union Assembly."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. _Union Assembly…?_

"Goodness! Is it time already? Just give me a few minutes to close down my stand and I'll follow you two."

"Don't worry about that. We'll help you."

As Naruto watched the three men box up the various fruits and vegetables that were out on the display bins, the blond couldn't help but have a strange anxious sensation swell up in the pit of his stomach. Once the vendor locked up his shop and pocketed the key, the three men nodded to each other in unison.

"Alright, let's go!"

Naruto had no choice but to follow them.

——†——

Surprisingly enough, the so called "Union Assembly" was located only a couple of blocks away from his previous position at the produce stand. Upon his arrival, Naruto found himself standing at the very back of a large gathering of people excitedly conversing with one another in an almost equally large courtyard. As much as he wanted to see what this apparently hyped up ceremony was about, Naruto had a fairly difficult time trying to see anything else other than the mass of bodies crowding about in front of him.

After realizing that trying to peek overtop of everyone's heads just to see what was going on directly ahead of him was much too irritable, Naruto decided to take his viewpoint straight to center stage. Since he assumed that nobody else could see him or feel him, as inferred from his previous episode with the three old men only minutes ago, Naruto figured that he could basically just walk right through the massive crowd and take a front row seat to observe what all of this commotion was about.

_Why didn't I think of that sooner? _

And just as he thought, Naruto was able to pass straight through every single body that came into "contact" with his own; ghosting through every single man, woman, child, and the occasional animal without a care in the world. Once he had reached the very front of the crowd, Naruto was intrigued by what he saw next. Standing at the very base of a tall and majestic-looking five-tiered pagoda were three separate groups of people, with each group clothed in garments completely different from the next. The notably obvious differences between each of the three groups seemed to enhance even further from there due to the distinguishable mix of genders and their respective composures between each of its members; emitting a certain air and character when each group was looked at individually.

The group on the right consisted of about an even mix of both males and females, young and old, with all of them dressed up in robes of the deepest purple; greatly resembling the appearances of high-mountain monks or temple keepers.

The group in the middle consisted of mostly males, with all of them donning armour and cloth garments of black and navy blue. The selective females that could be seen in this particular group all wore simple clothing of an identical color scheme as their male counterparts. Many of the men and even some of the younger males were armed with sheathed swords, daggers, and other hand-held blades. Naruto found it quite odd that he was able to spot only one female child within this particular group; granted that it was only what he could see while standing at ground level.

The final and left-most group of the three was more-or-less the polar opposite of the center group. While the previous group consisted of mostly males, this one primarily consisted of females (save the few males that could be spotted) with each member donning a robe of the most vivid shade of red (with the occasional splash of white here and there) that Naruto had ever seen. Each fair-skinned woman that can be seen all had brown hair in a fair and gentle earthly shade however; there was only woman, a young girl to be precise, whose hair was as pure as spun gold.

As odd as it seemed to see only one blonde-haired girl amidst a crowd of brunettes, it definitely made her stand out, and it was captivating. In fact, even amidst the entire crowd of people gathered within the courtyard, that one girl standing in front of all of the other mikos **(1)** was the only blonde in sight – save for Naruto himself. Despite her young age (judging by her size, Naruto guessed that she was around 10 or 11) the girl was quite pretty; which was odd since normal pre-teens would be generally designated as 'cute' rather than 'pretty'.

Naruto noticed that standing at the forefront of each of the three groups was a single child, situated beside who Naruto assumed to be one of their respective parental figures. Following in the same manner as the young blond girl from the group of mikos were two young boys: one from the monk group and one from the warrior group, both of whom appeared to be about the same age as the blond girl.

Standing in front of all of them (and only a few feet away from Naruto) was an elderly man, clothed in a robe of black and white and donning a very regal-looking headdress, who seemed to be addressing the crowd of villagers before him with Naruto included. In a loud and surprisingly spirited voice (for a senior), the old man began his proclamation to the masses in his deep yet jubilant tone.

"Welcome one and all on this glorious afternoon to commemorate the joining and the most blessed addition of these three tribes into our humble little establishment of Yasogami **(2)**. About one decade ago, I began to receive dark and frightful visions of a bleak and dismal future. A nightmare of chaos and misfortune, symbolizing an unholy beast most determined to bring the very land that we live and breathe on to ruin. Our once peaceful world has been foretold fall to the hands of an ancient evil that has long since been revered from times of lore as mankind's greatest obstacle towards salvation.

But, amidst these darkened clouds shines three rays of hope. The high priests, the elders and myself have all been praying for many moons in the hopes of finding an answer to this desolate fate.

Hailing from the majestic ridges and valleys of the North West, please extend your welcomes to Arai-sama and the holy monks of the Yasakani Clan!" The crowd cheered in delight.

"Hailing from the mountainous regions of the North East, please welcome Takeru-sama and the noble blacksmiths and warriorsof the Kusanagi clan!" The crowed cheered once again.

"And last but not least, hailing from the oasis-laden shrine of the shimmering South-western sands, please welcome Chizuru-sama and the healers and priestesses of the Yata clan! **(3)**"

The final introduction of the Yata maidens resulted in the loudest cheer that the crowd had made – at least during the short amount of time that Naruto had spent with them.

"Today marks the dawn of a new…"

Naruto was unable to hear the rest of the old man's speech for the sound of his voice (and all other sounds for that matter) was rapidly draining out of his ears.

"W-what's going-"

Naruto's statement was left unfinished for the powerful force that had surged over his entire being back when he was with Masato had completely returned to him in the blink of an eye. The loud chiming noise, the blinding light, and the immense pulling sensation from within his core, all of it flooded his senses to an almost painful extremity. The pressure was much too sudden and much too forceful for Naruto to even comprehend. The sensation was overwhelming. All he could do was scream for dear life.

——†——

"Mina…? Mina…!"

The sound of a youthful male voice rang through his ears. While it wasn't an immediately familiar voice, at least one that Naruto couldn't automatically recall, there was something oddly warm and nostalgic about it that made him feel at peace.

"Come on Mina…wake up."

"M-mmm…" Consciousness gradually returned to Naruto as he slowly opened up his heavily lidded eyes. A foreign sigh of relief was heard just to the right of his lying form.

"Ahhh…thank goodness. You almost had me worried there."

"W-what…?" Even while rubbing the drowsiness out of his eyes, Naruto immediately acknowledged that he was now back in "Minako's body," simply from the sound of his now higher-pitched voice; and yet, he didn't seem all that surprised about it.

"How are you feeling?" said the young male voice.

"F-fine I guess…"

Minako gently turned her head over to her right, where the voice had originated from, and finally took a good long look at her company. As a result, all traces of sleep and fatigue were almost immediately removed from her body.

Instead of seeing some young gentleman, which was basically the only option that she had logically expected from the masculine voice, her eyes were now greeted by a small, almost cat-sized, white-furred fox pup. Accenting his ears, his paws and the very tips of its tail were patches of fur colored in the deepest black. Located on his forehead was another patch of black fur (which was oddly shaped like a four-sided diamond) and situated within the very centre of it was a small circular jewel, colored in a hypnotic icy blue hue. When combined with fox pup's equally icy blue eyes, Minako would have immediately assumed that the jewel on his forehead was in fact an additional third eye, among other things. **(4)**

The combination of surprise and confusion had left Minako speechless. Despite the fox pup being quite adorable in appearance, she was quite unsure of what she was supposed to do next, if anything. After mentally weighing out her options, she finally came up with a solution: to simply stare back at the pup with inquiring eyes and a slightly open mouth.

"U-um…hi."

The pup made a very human-like smile and wagged its tail happily.

"Hi Mina! Glad to see you up!"

"Y-yes. Thank you." Minako raised an eyebrow at the pup. "U-um…how do you know my name?" _More importantly though, how the Hell does this animal know my fake name?_

The fox continued to smile back in that happy demeanour of his while continuing to wag his tail. His perky attitude greatly reminded Minako of Akamaru when he was only a pup.

"You told me remember?"

"N-no I can't say I do." Minako shifted her position so that she sat cross-legged in front of her furry friend. Minako closed her eyes for a few seconds as she scratched the bridge of her nose.

"U-um I don't mean to be rude but…who are you? Or better yet, _what_ are you exactly?"

The pup made a small laugh. "Don't you recognize me?" He padded his way over to a nearby table and hopped up onto its surface with Minako following shortly afterwards. The blonde sat down in front of the pup yet again and, because of its position on top of the table, the two were finally at eye level with each other.

"W-well…not really to be honest. I mean, I only know a small handful of talking animals and not one of them is…well…you."

The fox squinted its eyes ever so lightly, making it seem as though he were challenging the seated blonde before him.

"Look closer…"

Minako made a sigh in exasperation. "Is this really all that necessary?"

The fox simply continued staring back at Minako. "Just trust me on this…"

Minako sighed once again. "Fine." The blonde did as she was told and intently gazed back into the fox pup's icy blue eyes. _Wait a minute…_ Minako carefully analyzed the contours and the emotional depth hidden within the animal's eyes and felt a strange surge of familiarity. Without even realizing it, the words just left her mouth.

"K-koki…?"

The fox pup smiled in glee. "You remembered!"

Without even a single ounce of warning to the blonde, Koki jumped up from the table and into Minako's arms, savouring the warm and blanketed feeling that came from the girl's embrace. She never really knew what caused her body to do so, but Minako humbly returned the gesture of affection to the pup and began to tear ever so slightly. The two of them never really knew how long they had been holding each other but the silence was finally lifted by way of Koki's soft youthful voice whispering into Minako's ear.

"I've been waiting for so long for you Michiko-san. And now you've finally returned."

Minako continued to hold onto Koki's small form as she gently moved him from her chest and down to her lap, where he politely took his seat.

"Michiko…?" The name resonated from Minako's voice in a slightly hollow tone.

"Or would you rather prefer that I call you Minako? Or better yet, why don't I refer you by your real name: Naruto?"

Minako's eyes widened in surprise while her heart skipped a beat. "H-how did-!"

Koki simply smiled back as he looked into the blonde's eyes. "Believe it or not Naruto…I know more about you than you would ever know."

Minako let out a soft, "Really…?," not even bothering to react after the pup had used her real name for the second time tonight.

Koki nodded. "I do."

Minako held a hand up to her heart. She slowly lifted her gaze back towards Koki's patiently seated form which was now found back on the nearby wooden table. Koki was back to eye level once again with the blonde.

"Koki…"

There were just so many questions that flooded the very depths of Minako's mind that she never really knew where to begin asking. When combined with the fatigue that had befallen her body from both a long work day and these sudden turn of events, all Minako could do was sit in silence and awe.

"I trust that you have a lot to ask of me from just the short amount of time that we have been together, but for now, we must rest. When the timing is right, I will be there to answer all of your questions wholeheartedly to the best of my abilities."

Minako felt the genuine sincerity resonating from Koki's voice; it was all that she needed to heed his word and hold to his promise.

"Alright…"

Koki nodded. "Thank you…" The white fox pup leapt up from the table and back into Minako's arms to which the blonde gladly accepted almost instinctively.

"You know…the inn doesn't normally allow pets, or other animals for that matter, into their facilities."

Koki scratched one of his ears. "That is fine. I can simply remove myself from your person once we arrive at the inn and make my way over to your room from the outside. Your scent should be more than enough for me to find you from there."

Minako gently scratched Koki's other ear to which he gladly leaned into in approval. "My life just keeps getting weirder and weirder."

"Perhaps. But one of these days, you will find that everything will be right where it needs to be."

Minako smiled. "Strange. Somehow, when you say it, I feel like I can believe that. Thanks Koki-chan…"

Koki smiled in earnest. "Now before we depart, we must perform a little manual labour."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Indeed. Just head outside and I'll show you."

The pair made their way out of the mediation chamber, through the interior of the store and eventually stepped outside into the cool night air.

"Now just go around the left corner…"

Minako did as she was instructed and made a small gasp in surprise at her discovery shortly afterwards.

"Sakura? Ino? What are they doing here?"

Koki leaped out of Minako's arms and padded his way over to the young medics' unconscious forms.

"Your friends I'm assuming?" Minako nodded in confirmation. "Hmm…well from what I can infer, my belief is that they followed you here. Out of worry I'm presuming."

Minako knelt down next to Koki and carefully analyzed their lying forms and noticed that they didn't seem to sustain any visible injuries. It really just looked like they were knocked out cold.

"Well…there's no time to keep wondering about it now. Guess we'll just have to take them back to our room at the inn and sleep it off."

"Agreed. The temperature is already beginning to drop so it's best that we take them now before it gets too cold."

"Right…"

Minako gently gathered up Sakura and Ino's sleeping bodies, placing Sakura over her right shoulder while holding onto Ino's waist in her left arm. Despite being in her female body for close to a month now, Minako continued to have those small instances of surprise simply from the realization that she had still retained her old strength and stamina prior to the gender change. Her current body – which was both svelte and slender – did not reflect the hidden physical prowess that lay beneath her soft and delicate features.

"Do you need a hand Naruto?"

"No, I should be okay but thanks for the offer Koki-chan. And I hope you don't mind me asking but would you please just refer to me as 'Minako' whenever we're around others?"

"Of course. Would you also like me to refrain from speaking around others as well?"

"Hmm…" Minako spent a few moments contemplating over it. "Actually, I think that would be a wise choice. While the strange patterns along your body might say other wise, it would probably seem more believable around others to say that you were just some stray animal that I picked up and took in on the spot out of sympathy."

Koki made a forced sniffing noise in response to Minako's attempt at a joke. "I think that can be remedied…"

Within a matter of seconds, the black patches of fur on Koki's more-or-less white body, along with the strange blue jewel located in the center of his forehead (surrounding black patch included), completely vanished, transforming the exotic looking animal into a completely normal and natural-looking fox pup. His flawless fur was colored in the purest white whilst his eyes darkened into a much deeper, almost ocean-like shade of blue.

"Remarkable…"

Koki sat down on the ground looking as innocently cute as he possibly could, and he wasn't even trying. "And of course, no one would need to question the origins of a stray so I can keep my fur in its near natural color. The less effort that I have to exert in order to disguise myself, the better."

Minako sighed and smirked at the talking pup. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Koki jogged his way over to Minako's side and began to walk in tandem alongside his new master.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Apologies are in order of course to all of you incredibly patient readers who have been waiting for this chapter for a good, what 10½ months? I'll make it brief: final year of undergrad studies was HELL! Oh right, and over 7000 words for this chapter. My longest one yet! I kinda felt that I owed my awesome readers a nice long transitional chapter.

Hopefully I'll be able to remain motivated to continue with this story and make sure that I don't leave this sitting on the back burner for almost a full year. But that's what reviews are for! If you found this chapter worthy of your love and interest, drop me a review you wonderful people.

Oh yes. And I promise to keep my chapters interesting. I always feel guilty whenever I think that one particular chapter might tank amongst my readers – which is that LAST thing that I want for you guys.

**(1)** Miko – a Shrine Maiden

**(2)** Yasogami – Meaning "Many Gods" in Japanese. I borrowed the word "Yasogami" from a fictional High School of the same name from the RPG _Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4_, published by Atlus for the PS2. FYI: HEART the game!

**(3)** I derived the name "Chizuru" from a King of Fighter's character whose affiliation with the ancient Yata clan of priestesses (from the game) was also utilized in my story. Interesting fact: the name "Chizuru" means "1000 cranes" in Japanese.

**(4)** I sort of based Koki's physical appearance with that of Kirara, Sango's demonic animal companion from Takahashi Rumiko's original manga series: Inuyasha. And yes, I know that Kirara is actually a cat.


	12. The Third Soul

Enchantress

Chapter 12 – The Third Soul

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

——†——

It wasn't long before Minako, Koki and the two unconscious forms of Sakura and Ino (the latter two of which were being gently carried by Minako) arrived at near the front entrance of the Red Sand Inn. The blonde was just about to take another step towards the establishment's main doors until the sound of Koki's voice halted her in her place.

"Hold on a minute Mina."

As she listened to the fox pup's order, Minako raised an eyebrow at him. "Mina?"

Koki looked back up at her. "Hope you don't mind the nickname."

Minako made a small smile back. "Strangely enough, no I don't."

Koki nodded in gratitude. "Now before we go in, I must do something first."

"Um…alright." Minako gently lay Sakura and Ino down in a sitting position up against the nearby wall of the Inn. "If you don't mind me asking Koki, um…what exactly are you planning to do?"

Koki braced himself and lowered his upper body down a notch, almost appearing as though he were about to pounce on something. "A diversion. This will only take a few seconds."

The snow-white fox pup closed his eyes in concentration. Shortly afterwards, Koki's mysterious "third eye" reappeared on his forehead. The jewel located in between the small diamond-shaped patch of black fur began to glow with a soft yet slightly wispy blue light. After a few moments had passed between Koki's short-lived enchantment, the light on his forehead vanished along with the jewel, completely reverting back to his natural looking self.

"There…that should do it."

Minako looked down at her companion in confusion. "W-what should do it?"

Koki lightly nudged his snout towards the direction of the doors. "Take a look inside and see for yourself."

Minako did as she was instructed and observed the fruits of Koki's labor: the few front lobby employees were all on the floor, knocked unconscious.

"Out cold…"

"I've clouded everyone's minds within a 2 meter radius from us in a mild sleeping illusion."

Minako looked back at Koki in understanding. "So I see…"

"It won't last for very long, but it should give us enough time for the two of us to make it to your room with your friends without arousing suspicion. Bringing in two unconscious girls into a local inn instead of the hospital would only be grounds for an inquiry."

Strangely enough, Minako understood Koki's logic. "Fair enough."

"And of course, we couldn't exactly wake them up from their original positions outside the shop without the having them question you with regards to your whereabouts at such a time of night.

For now, the best we can do would be to simply play it out as if it were all a dream to the both of them. Should they both wake up the following morning with similar thoughts, neither of them would be able to come up with a reasonable explanation as to how they ended up back in their temporary place of residence if their late-night venture occurred outside."

Everything the pup had said made perfect sense.

"Let's go Mina. The illusion will be wearing off shortly."

"Right."

——†——

After bringing Sakura and Ino's unconscious forms into the girls' room, Minako gently laid the two of them down into their respective futons and tucked them in warmly. She spent the next few moments looking back and forth between the two sleeping girls with Koki patiently seated by her feet.

"They usually sleep in their pyjamas. Wouldn't they find it suspicious if they woke up tomorrow morning in their day clothes?"

"Not a problem. You leave that to me."

The jewel on Koki's forehead reappeared for the second time tonight and shone in its usual splendour. This time however, the pup took a little bit longer to utilize his powers, in contrast with the mere seconds that it took to dowse the hotel lobby employees into temporary sleep only minutes ago. The pup made a light sigh.

"That should do it. Physically, they will continue to remain in their current attire, but mentally, they will appear to be clothed in their respective sleeping wear, even to each other. Unlike before, this illusion should last until the hypnotized have gazed upon their reflections."

Minako glanced down at the seated white fox.

"Koki…" The pup simply continued to stare straight ahead, almost blankly, not even acknowledging the fact that his master had just whispered his name.

"Dawn should not be too far off now."

Without even so much as a warning, Koki made his way over to a nearby window and gently pushed it open with one of his paws.

"W-wait you're leaving? But there's so much I want to ask you! I fact, I haven't even started do that yet. Furthermore, where do you even plan on staying at this time of night?"

Minako never really knew why she harboured such an overwhelming sense of concern for Koki considering the fact that she had just met the enigmatic creature less than an hour ago. But for some reason, Minako had a strong feeling that their encounter was not by mere coincidence. She was under the belief that both her and the fox pup's meeting was somehow meant to happen. The sheer probability of something like this happening to an ordinary human would be next to nothing and Minako was determined to see how the rest of her life would unfold because of Koki. This now lay far beyond the depths of simple human logic.

From his position on the windowsill, Koki glanced over his shoulder and looked back at his concerned blonde master with his gentle eyes. The light of the moon and the stars reflecting off of both his brilliant blue eyes and his snow white fur, basked the animal in an ethereal glow.

"We shall meet again tomorrow Mina. I promise."

And just like that, Koki leaped out into the night air. Minako made her way over to the window and looked outside in the hopes of catching Koki's retreating form, only to be greeting by the stillness of Sunagakure's eve.

——†——

After a fairly exhausting morning of administering chakra-based healing to a few more patients and assisting in some minor physiotherapy, Minako found herself sitting outside on a bench located at the rooftop of the General Clinic. While she had her bentou box gently nestled on top of her lap, Minako had yet to open it up to indulge in its home-made contents. Instead of enjoying her lunch break which was also usually spent in the company of Sakura, Ino, and a few other local Sunagakure hospital employees, Minako decided to take sometime to herself to merely reflect on everything that had been occurring in her life thus far – particularly concentrating on her chance encounters with both Masato and Koki during her present mission in the Sand Village.

With the old shopkeeper's sudden disappearance combined with the even equally sudden emergence of the talking fox pup, Minako couldn't but wonder why such a thing would occur. In addition, the whole experience of somehow being displaced in that strange vision involving the three clans of the Kusanagi, Yasakani and the Yata – and while in her original body nonetheless – had left her confused even further, consequently resulting in multiple bouts of broken concentration during her working hours this morning. Luckily for her, by some stroke of luck, Minako somehow managed to get by her morning shift with relative ease and without any complications. Things would have become unfortunate if Minako didn't fully comprehend that she was dealing with human lives – as opposed to chemical compounds – throughout the majority of her daily duties.

As the gentle summer breeze blew through her golden hair, Minako felt emotionally heavy and lost regardless of the physically relaxing state of her body. Ever since she had met Masato during her first evening in Sunagakure, she had hoped that her extended stay would answer some of the burning questions that lingered on her mind with regards to her complete rollercoaster of a month as a spontaneously transformed female. But as the days went by and even at this very moment, all she was left with was even more questions and hardly any answers. Minako missed being her old self. Even though her overall personality and anchored beliefs remained relatively constant, deep down inside, she felt herself becoming more and more like this fabricated alias of hers. Bits and pieces of the real Naruto were beginning to chip off and fade away, only to be slowly replaced by this act and costume known as "Honda Minako," to which many have warmly accepted into their lives without a second thought. And the idea was eating her up inside.

"When will all of this end…?"

While intended as a rhetorical question that she meant to ask to herself, the sudden appearance of a new voice completely snapped Minako out of her focus.

"In due time Naruto…just have faith."

The blonde jerked her body around towards the direction of the voice, almost dropping her bentou box in the process, only breathe a subtle sigh of relief as she watched the calmly approaching figure of Koki's small frame.

"Koki!"

"Good Afternoon Naruto. I hope you are doing well."

Minako found herself both surprised slightly stunned at just how polite and gentleman-like the fox pup's form of speech really was. If she hadn't known any better, Minako could have sworn that Koki was simply a nobleman in the guise of the animal that he is.

"Y-yes," Minako cleared her throat, "I mean, yes I am thank you."

The snow white pup made his way over to the bench where Minako was seated and quickly hopped up on to it, comfortably taking his place right next to her patiently waiting form. The two spent a few comfortable moments in silence together until Minako looked back down at Koki who was lazily wagging his tail back and forth.

"You came back…"

Koki looked back at up at Minako with that same gentleness that she had seen in him the previous night. "I made a promise did I not?"

Minako smiled and gently ruffled Koki's head in affection, to which the pup happily nuzzled back in approval. Short following, Koki looked back up into Minako's eyes with a partially serious look.

"Now…I trust that you have questions for me correct?"

Minako's smiling face dampened to an equally serious expression as the pup.

"I do…"

Koki nodded. "Then you may ask."

Minako knew that as she had to address the pup in such a way so that she wouldn't appear too desperate. Even though the pair had known each other for less than a day, Koki's seemingly wise and patient demeanour – in spite of his appearance – was all that it took for Minako to somehow retain a certain level of respectfulness within his eyes; an idea that was both simple to understand yet incredibly confusing all together. Why she was so determined to act so professionally around the mysterious creature in such a short amount of time was still beyond her. On the other hand (and in a slightly less than respectable hand at that), surface-wise she found that Koki was just too adorable to say no to. She wasn't really quite sure if this was she actually felt or if it was just a side effect of being "Minako" for an extended period of time – as Naruto had rarely caved in at the sight of cute things – but either way, Koki's physical charm as a juvenile fox was something that just couldn't be fought.

Minako let out a sigh to relieve herself of the built up tension and anxiety that had been stirring within her over the last little while. Minako glanced down into Koki's icy blue eyes which were looking back at her with both sincerity and an almost haunting intensity. After a few moments of constructive thinking, the blonde chose her words carefully…sort of.

"Now I don't mean for this to be offensive, and if it seems that way apologize in advance, but to put it bluntly…um, what are you?"

Koki made a small smile in response. "A wise choice…"

Minako sort of hated herself for asking it but it was the most basic, and frankly the most prominent question above others that was on her mind ever since their encounter the previous night. She laid down the facts prior to her inquiry: Koki is a talking white fox with a weird jewel located in the centre of his forehead which can be hidden to disguise his otherwise 'otherworldly' appearance into a more natural looking fox. His abilities seem to include, but are assumed to be not limited to, the alteration of his physical appearance (presumably at will) as well as the ability to conjure sleep-inducing illusions. It wasn't much of a lead and she needed to know more. The blonde was aware that she could have asked her question with bit more eloquence but she figured that as long as the message got out, there was no point in worrying about it any further.

"Well, to put it in simple terms," Koki looked at Minako with warm eyes, "I'm your Guardian." **(1)**

While Minako didn't expect anything revolutionary to come from the pup, Koki's answer was definitely something that she just wasn't prepared for.

"My what?"

Koki adjusted himself so that he was now directly facing Minako while still seated on the bench. "Your protector and guide for the journey that awaits you."

Minako continued to look back in both disbelief and scepticism.

"Um…okay. So…w-what do you mean exactly?"

"Minako," Koki's voice was stern, "your life is in danger. And it's not just your life that hangs in the balance but the lives of everyone you love." **(2)** Minako felt a slight chill run down her spine.

"W-what…?"

"Come with me and I shall explain everything."

"C-come…where?"

"Into the depths of your soul."

The mystical blue jewel reappeared on Koki's forehead and shone with sudden intensity. Before Minako even had a chance to respond, everything became blanketed in white.

——†——

Minako let down her arms, which were crossed protectively in front of her face, and opened up her eyes. The sight that greeted her shortly afterwards involved nothing more than black space. Despite the emptiness that surrounded her, she felt neither intimidated nor afraid. Interestingly enough, in sharp contrast with her surroundings, she was able to see every little detail of her person with great clarity. No ounce of visible light was present and yet she could see the color of her skin and clothing as if she were standing outside in broad daylight. **(3)**

"Where am I?" The sound of a familiar voice answered her plea.

"Welcome to the realm psionic of space where knowledge, thoughts, consciousness, emotions, and dreams come together to form the wondrous labyrinth that is the human mind."

The faint clunking sound of geta sandals made Minako face the direction that it was coming from. The sound became louder and louder until the silhouette of a man appeared before her. The familiar smiling face made Minako smile back in both delight and surprise.

"Or to be more specific…your mind."

"Masato!"

The old man nodded. "It's nice to see you again Minako."

It was then, Minako had a thought. "Hey wait a minute where have you been all this time?" Minako was about to cite a second follow up question but Masato interrupted her before she could.

"Patience Minako. It shall make sense to you soon enough."

It was a gradual process, but eventually the pitch blackness that surrounded the conversing pair underwent a drastic change. Shapes began to form and physical surfaces began to solidify until the dark void had completely transformed into a strange circular room with nothing more than walls and a marble floor colored a stormy grey. Majestically situated in front of Masato and Minako were a single almost dinner-plate sized circular mirror, surrounded on both sides by two rectangular full-body mirrors; nothing else seemed to decorate the rest of the room in any way. Each mirror appeared to be completed with its own elegantly designed frame, all three of which seemed to be composed up of a different type of material.

The left full-body mirror appeared to be framed in gold where as the right full-body mirror seemed to be framed in some sort of steel colored an almost violent dark red. In contrast with the gold-framed mirror, the red-framed mirror had a sleek black curtain covering up the entire expanse of the reflective glass captured within the frame. The final central circular mirror was the one that stood out the most apart from the other two. In addition to being notably smaller in size and circular in shape, the central mirror was observed to have no actual mirror at all for Minako to look at. Apart from a single shard of what Minako assumed was the actual mirror just barely hanging on to the brilliant platinum frame, the rest of the reflective glass was found to be completely absent.

"What is this?"

"This Minako is the apex to which all of your memories are contained within the depths of your sub-consciousness, physically manifested – if you will – in the guise of the very room that we are currently occupying."

Minako had a strange sensation engulf her entire being. "Hmm…"

"The objects that you see before you, while they may resemble mirrors, they are actually metaphoric windows which archive the entire duration of your memories from past to present. Technically speaking, only one of these mirrors should exist within the mind of any normal human, but as you can see…"

Masato shifted his gaze over to Minako. The blonde slowly scanned the forms of the three mirrors from left to right in one fluid motion slowly taking in the concept as well as the realization that even from within, she was still far from "normal" than anyone she had ever known; a thought that had endlessly haunted her since the time of her birth. After finding the young girl unwilling to respond anytime soon, Masato simply continued on after a few moments of silence.

"As you probably may have guessed Minako, the presence of two extra windows within this room should theoretically indicate the presence of two additional inhabitants occupying your very mind. Or in other words: three souls sharing one body. A truly remarkable phenomenon that has always been theorized by mystics spanning across the history of mankind, and yet has never been truly witnessed or even accounted for until now."

Minako still found it hard to form words.

"While the true technicalities surrounding both the short and long term physical effects of a host possessing any other spiritual entity apart from their own – let alone three – in a single body have never been reported or even studied for that matter, there is still one common fact that continues to remain constant among all cases such as this: the human host inadvertently inherits a small fraction of the natural skillsets and/or abilities that the other soul or entity has retained prior to their transmigration. This phenomenon as you may know is already supported as given by the existence of those humans chosen to serve as the living host for one of the fabled nine bijus of the world.

Minako's thoughts immediately went to her ever present accelerated healing factor that was bestowed to her by the Nine-Tailed Fox demon. But in addition to that, the blonde had never really experienced or even noticed any newer enhancements in her overall skillset with regards to her recent gender change – at least, apart from the physical transformation of her original masculine body into this newer and slender feminine body. While the way she thought and contemplated things was a little bit more enhanced, in comparison to her usually one-track mindset when she was still Naruto, nothing really revolutionary had ever come out of this "spontaneous" transformation as of yet. All it really brought to her thus far was aggravation, irritation and confusion.

"The window on your left is the one that corresponds to your true self: the memories that have been rightfully yours upon the moment of your birth."

Minako glanced over at the gold-framed mirror and without even realizing it; walked up to it until she was standing directly in front of the glass. Small flickers of her past memories replayed within its confinements, some of unprecedented battle between Sasuke and himself and his very first encounter with the old bat **(4)**.

"My true self…" Minako mainly whispered this to herself rather than to Masato.

"The rightmost window corresponds to the memories of the demon that inhabits 1/3 of your spiritual dominion: the infamous Kyuubi no Yoko."

Much like first mirror, Minako made her way over to the red-framed mirror until she was standing directly in front of it. She tenderly brushed her fingers along the dark black curtain that completely covered the glass, noticing that the texture of the fabric was highly similar to that of velvet. Before she could ask as to why this mirror was covered, Masato's continued speech made her hold that question to herself.

"I assume that you are curious of this particular window's attempt at concealment am I correct?"

"Y-yes…"

Masato nodded. "To make it brief, the Kyuubi no Yoko is a completely separate entity from yourself. While she may still be a part of you from within, ultimately, the two of you are nonetheless, separate entities. This is the reason as to why jinchuurikis are still able to live apart from their biju should the demon be successfully extracted from their soul. Neither one of you are supposed to have access to the other's memories, however this is only limited to the ones that that the both of you have shared from the time of the Kyuubi's sealing: the very moment that the two of you became one."

Minako removed her hand from the curtain and let her arm fall down to her side.

"Any memories that either you or the Kyuubi have prior to your union are to remain strictly between yourselves."

Finally, Minako made her way over to the mirror that had sparked her curiosity the most: the central, platinum-made, circle-shaped frame comprising up of only a single shard of what used to be a complete mirror. The single shard seemed to glow in a strange and eerie light.

"I hesitate to ask…" Minako gulped down the nervousness that was caught in her throat before looking back over her shoulder towards Masato. "Who or what does this third mirror belong to…?"

Minako waiting in heavy anticipation as Masato calmly walked his way over to the blonde until they were standing side-by-side.

"This mirror…belongs to the woman who has been reborn to finally put an end to foretold ruin."

Minako's heart rate began to speed up.

"The ancient priestess whose very efforts marked the dawn of a new era yet conversely evoked much future destruction because of it."

Minako's eyes began to widen. _No…it couldn't be._

"The one who has dominated your body over the last month…"

Minako held a hand up to her chest as her breathing became rushed. _IT CAN'T BE!_

"The long forgotten heroine who had succeeded terrifying evil, the 'Mother of the Demons,' the Enchantress: Yata Michiko."

And then, Minako's world came to a grinding halt.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Didn't expect another chapter up within the span of a week did ya? Well it's simply my way of apologizing for the in fact, year plus long wait that I made all of my readers go through. A little bit shorter than the last few chapters but I think it got my intended literary purposes out just fine.

I'm actually on a little bit of a role with this story now that all of these ideas finally coming into place. Please notify me if you feel like I'm rushing my story. Since "The Enchantress" has now approached a pivotal point in the main story line, I would like to smoothly transition my story so that other mini-storylines (current and future) are addressed and completed without tapering off too far from the main plot. Your feedback means everything to me. It lets me know that I'm doing something right.

As for this chapter in particular, I'm pretty sure that a lot of you predicted these turn of events in previous chapters but lo-and-behold, the real deal is here. I originally intended this chapter to be a little bit longer but I felt that the cliffhanger moment at the end of this chapter was the appropriate moment to cut it off. Any additional story line would just seem anti-climactic…at least in my eyes. Stay Tuned for Chapter 13!

**(1)** Kind of gives you a Sailor Venus/Artemis feel doesn't it? Well, that's what it is! Koki has is now Naruto's "Artemis" in my story. Lots of good reading material ahead with this pairing (non-romantic of course).

**(2)** This dialogue was actually derived from the TV show _Wolverine and the X-Men_. The character Emma Frost (voiced by the brilliant Kari Wahlgren) quoted a similar line in Episode 24 – "Foresight Part 1."

**(3)** The wording of this particular passage may be difficult for some of you readers out there to properly visualize and I apologize for that. To make it easier on you, I got this particular story element from a scene in the _CardCaptor Sakura_ anime. Episode 42 – "Sakura and the Blacked Out School Arts Festival" – when Sakura captured the final two remaining Clow Cards of Light and Dark.

**(4)** Just for future reference, the "Old Bat" will always refer to Tsunade in my story. This term was used a bunch of times in previous chapters so many of you probably already knew what it meant already without me bringing it up. I'm not gonna lie, I really hate the use of "-baachan" in stories whenever I read Naruto fanfiction. In my story, will only ever use romanized Japanese phrases or words whenever I am referring to an actual Japanese objects, places, or honorifics, using terms specific to the _Naruto_ manga, and whenever my characters use any ninja techniques.

Just seeing such phrases as "Daijoubu desu ka?" or "Hontou ni" in an all English story just kill me SO MUCH on the inside. In fact, I'm going to edit a few of my previous chapters to remove my story of such instances as I vaguely remember using them a few times.


	13. Existence

Enchantress

Chapter 13 – Existence

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**A/N:** More or less the second half of Chapter 12 – "The Third Soul."

——†——

Disbelief, anger, denial…all of the emotions that came out of her were both overpowering full of ire.

"NO! NO!"

Minako fell to her knees as she clutched on to the side of her head, sincerely hoping that the action would remedy this sudden, unexplainable, and seemingly horrid truth.

"This can't be true!"

"I'm afraid it is Naruto." Masato knelt down next to the fallen girl and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "As strange as the truth may sound…it is still the truth nonetheless."

Minako slowly raised her head up and glared at the circular frame hanging on the wall in front of her, not even bothering to acknowledge Masato's comforting gestures.

"Why…?" Minako slowly stood up and made her way over to the platinum frame. The blonde's body movements were slow yet sinisterly fluid, appearing as if she were ensnared in a trance. She forcefully slammed her hands against the wall on either side of the mirror and angrily glared at the glowing white shard before her, silently cursing at the remains of this infamous mirror.

"Why does my life have to be the one that SHE decides to screw up?! Why do I have to be the one that she possesses?! Is she ALSO the reason as to why I look like THIS?!"

Just then, Minako's present form began to dissolve. The girl's physical appearance gradually blew away like dust until it revealed the man behind the mask: Naruto.

"Having a demon living inside of me is bad enough but now I have to live with the soul of a dead girl as well?!" Naruto made a sarcastic laugh "How could my life get ANY better?!"

Naruto was still unsure of the reason as to why he was so angry at this startling revelation. A part of him was so determined to believe that all of this was just some pointless nightmare that was meant to be forgotten in the morning. However, the better part of him was too overwhelmed with such pressure weighing down on his shoulders to even think straight; and Naruto was more than familiar with the unpleasant feeling of heavy burdens. Living as the human host for the fabled Nine-Tailed demon Fox, the absolute necessity of officially graduating from ninja school after multiple failed attempts at simple technique exhibitions, the Chuunin examinations, his promise to return Sasuke home after his defection from Konoha, the constant occurrences of Kyuubi's possession and his subsequent repression of the demon's domineering power – the list was endless.

But in all of those other past cases, Naruto had always been confident that the end was foreseeable. Regardless of how he went about accomplishing each trial, his faith in the idea that "the end was never too far in sight" was what had kept him going all along. But this time, perhaps because of the sheer complexity surrounding the situation, Naruto had lost his confidence. He had to admit that there was no easy end to either his gender change or his apparent "possession by Michiko," if any. For lack of a better phrase: a bomb a really been dropped on him, and he hated it immensely.

"Although I am uncertain as to how comforting this may sound to you, but in a way, Michiko's soul has not _conventionally_ inhabited your body as compared to that of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox for example."

Naruto raised a sceptical eyebrow at Masato's odd emphasis on the word: "conventionally."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked with slight bitterness.

"Well…," Masato sighed before looking towards the circular mirror frame himself, "Michiko has not completely possessed your body per se as given by the continuously strong presence of the Kyuubi still resonating from within you. Rather, the priestess has simply dominated over the better part of your own soul in response to foretold and approaching events. Technically speaking, a body can only be considered "possessed" if the external dominating spiritual presence is completely foreign to the host."

Naruto once again looked back at the old man in disbelief and confusion.

"What I am trying to say is that rather than viewing Michiko as some wandering spirit that had simply decided to inhabit your body one day, instead, think of her as a formerly dormant portion of your own soul that has now awakened due to a shift in the cosmic balance of the universe."

The pieces started to come together and yet even with this whole new angle to approach the vague concepts of souls and possession, Naruto was now left with even more questions than he had before. Once again, Naruto's eagerness for uncovering the 'truth' behind his whole female fiasco had been overshadowed by a strong sense of resentment after realizing that his desired answers were not all that he had hoped for.

"Wait…so you're telling me that Michiko and I…are one in the same?"

"To put it loosely, yes. While the specifics of souls are still a widely unknown concept to understand no matter where you are in the world, all that I have learned thus far – which is still fairly limited mind you – is that very few souls are ever considered belonging to one individual in a given time line; but that's just a general interpretation."

Naruto's eyes squinted ever so slightly in continued irritation.

"What IS all of this crap that you keep talking about?"

The old man ignored Naruto's mild cursing.

"Reincarnation: the cosmic phenomenon of a single soul undergoing a myriad of rebirths throughout the entire duration of its existence." **(1)**

It was then, when Naruto began to calm down a little bit. While all of this nonsense about souls being reborn as well as the probability of him being the current "Michiko" continued to both confuse and irritate him, his initial levels of anger began to drop with every slow and passing breath. He had a feeling that absolutely none of this would make sense to him anytime soon so for the time being, he just decided to give in and begrudgingly accept it out of spite.

"You mentioned something about a soul's rebirth a few days ago when the two of us had that one-on-one about the Age of Anarchy didn't you?"

Masato nodded. Naruto scoffed shortly afterwards.

"You knew all along about me didn't you? You knew that I wasn't the curious blonde girl just passing by your store with her friends."

"Indeed. The spiritual powers that I felt emitting from your body upon your mere entrance into my store immediately sparked my curiosity. No ordinary human should have been bestowed with the types of energies that I felt resonating off of you, they were just that powerful. While the demonic presence of the Nine-Tailed Fox was nonetheless present, I continued to feel two other spiritual powers resonating from within your body." Masato shifted his gaze forward and scanned over the majestic forms of the three mirrors that were located just behind Naruto, who held a slightly sour look on his handsome features. "It was from the energies of both your own as well as Michiko's, most notably the priestess', that I was able to determine that you were much more than just another jinchuuriki, as given by presence of the Sand Village's current leader."

"Gaara?"

Masato nodded. "Had you been in your original body, your spiritual identification as a biju host would have been more or less the same as the young red-haired Kazekage. But as you have been informed, that is no longer the case."

Naruto spent a few moments in silence, gazing back and forth between the three mirrors of his own, the Kyuubi's as well as the one that was presumably Michiko's. His gaze lingered on the shard of Michiko's mirror before slowly turning back to look at Masato.

"Well…while we're still on the topic of souls and spiritual energies," Naruto gave the old man a weary look, "How about you? Whose soul or whatnot has inhabited your body? Or do you even have one?"

Masato closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them back up and presenting Naruto with a light smile.

"I am quite surprised that you haven't been able to figure it out as of yet."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?!"

Masato's bodily form, if one could call it that, began to convert into countless specks of light blue sparkles before engulfing him completely in their shine and dissolving down towards the ground like dust. The sparkles billowed around in a small pile before blowing away completely, revealing none other than Koki the fox pup. Instead of appearing in his normal, all-white disguise, he now presented himself in his original form; the form that Naruto had seen from the moment they first laid eyes on each other. The black stripes, black patches, and even the forehead jewel have now been restored to their former glory. While part of Naruto was only slightly surprised at the realization that the old man was fox pup all along, the rest of him sort of had the feeling that the two were also one-in-the-same. There was just no real reason to assume that the two were completely unrelated to one another – given the recent turn of events. Seeing all of this unfold right before his eyes only confirmed his minor suspicions. He looked down at Koki and sighed.

"Figures…" Koki sat down obediently.

"I can only imagine the amount of frustration and confusion that all of this may have brought you Naruto, but please try to understand. The life that you have been living for the last few weeks was no mere accident. There is a reason as to why all of this is happening to you specifically and at this particular moment in time."

Naruto scoffed and leaned back against the wall just to the left of Michiko's mirror, crossing his arms and his feet to further emphasize his indifference.

"Yeah, yeah I know…reincarnation and all that crap. You've made me well aware of that idea quite a few times for the last little while and frankly, I don't believe it one bit. I may accept it to a certain extent but that doesn't mean that I truthfully believe it as well."

Koki stood his ground. "You may deny it all you want Naruto, but I believe that in time you will realize the error of your ignorance and finally open your eyes to the truth."

Naruto made a sour face at Koki's use of the word _ignorance_. "Of course I will…" Naruto said sarcastically.

"Naruto…for almost 500 years I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. In a vision that I have received all those centuries ago, I have been instructed to wait until the time came for the Enchantress to rise and walk among the living once again. You may recall from my tale as Masato that during the Age of Anarchy, I was killed by a human sometime during the Black Lotus War."

Naruto was surprised at the sudden change of topic as well as the notable heaviness in Koki's tone. He watched the fox pup close his eyes and slightly hang his head down in shame. Koki's defeated appearance jolted a slight pang of guilt in Naruto's heart the longer he continued to watch the small creature.

"Even to this day…I can still remember it so vividly. I can still hear the shouts of resentment and the cries of bloodthirsty madness. I can still feel the wounds, the bruises, and the marks from the blunt trauma that once littered my body."

Naruto unconsciously pictured the kind of pain that Koki might have endured, based on his description, and gulped in great discomfort.

"I could still remember the final breath that I took before death took over me completely…even now I am still uncertain as to how I can be alive even after that horrifying experience," Koki looked back up into Naruto's eyes sternly, "While my reason may be unexplainable, my purpose, no matter how vague it may seem, remains clear: and that is because of you."

Naruto found that he couldn't quite respond.

"You aren't the only one who wishes to find answers in this life Naruto. I too wish to uncover some untold truths of my own. How was I brought back to life? Why is it that I was chosen to be reborn while all of my siblings remain dead? How is it that you, a single human being 500 years after my time, possess the same presence and warmth as both my former master as well as my mother?!"

Naruto was dumbstruck. He had completely forgotten that Koki was one of the Kyuubi's offspring…at least from what he had been told from the pup's guise as the old man, Masato. The pup's eyes held a determined look but they also held the faint beginnings of sad tears.

"Koki…"

"Naruto…you and I are connected in more ways than you could even fathom. There is still that chance that neither one of us may ever truly know the answers to all of our uncertainties but we were brought together for a reason: to prevent the world from plunging straight back into the Hell that it once was all those centuries ago."

Koki's ever determined tone continued to surprise him. Despite the calm and gentle voice that the pup had been previously known to possess, this fierce and almost angry tone that he had recently showcased greatly emitted the idea that the creature was dead serious in his speech.

"There is still so much that I don't know with regards to this worldly duty that the two of us share. But the only thing that I do know, which may or may not be of any real use to us, is that that I only had 500 years to ally with you until death would have taken me a second time…"

Naruto's eyes widened.

"W-wait…your life was on a time limit?!"

Koki nodded. "Days turned into months, months turned into years, and years turned into decades. There were times where I actually wanted death to take me again just so that I could spare myself the agonizing loneliness and the timeless waiting that I had to endure if only for the sole purpose of meeting up with you. Spending half a millennium waiting for an individual who may never even cross my path or even exist for another 500 years for that matter," the pup made a hollow laugh, "was a burden that I alone, had to bear. I wavered in my faith time and time again. There were even moments where I believed that 'hope' was nothing but a mere word. But through it all, I managed to convince myself that everything, including my rebirth, my objective and my temporary immortality, happens for a reason; that nothing was ever left unaccounted for."

Naruto was left stunned once again at the pup's words.

"Had you waited to meet me only until tomorrow, my second death would have been eminent."

It was then that Naruto had a thought. "Wait a minute. Just _assuming_ that all of this is true, which by the way is still passing way over my head even as we speak, how is it that your so called second death would have happened tomorrow if we first met up like three days ago? I mean, why is it that last night was the precise moment when your 'countdown to death,' for lack of a better term, was lifted as opposed to Monday?"

Koki spent a few moments thinking to himself before answering. "My guess would be that last night was actually the very first time that the two of us had physical contact with one another."

Naruto thought back to the moment when he saw Masato heaving on the floor, seemingly in immense pain.

"Oh yeah…I touched your shoulder just when I was about to assess you. But then…I was flung back, I saw a lot of bright light, and then that weird vision or whatever, happened."

Koki slightly tilted his head to the side. "Vision?"

"Yeah…" Naruto tried to recall what it was about. "There was something about a Union Assembly and the three clans of the Yata, the Kusanagi and the Yasakani…or something like that."

"Is that so…?" Koki spent a few moments thinking to himself. "This vision of yours happened immediately after you touched my shoulders right?"

Naruto looked back at Koki. "Well…not immediately but it wasn't very long until it actually happened."

"Strange…it seems as though you were not the only one to experience some sort of effect from our encounter.

Naruto's interest became piqued. "Really…?"

Koki nodded. "While I didn't succumb to a vision such the one that you have mentioned, immediately after you touched me, my disguise as Masato completely vanished and before I knew it I was back into my original form."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And…that was surprising to you?"

"Well, yes. In fact, my disguise as Masato had been permanent for the last 500 years. Up until last night, I was unable to willingly alter my appearance."

"Really?!"

"Indeed."

Naruto and Koki shared a few moments of silence until Koki came to a deduction.

"My guess is that somehow all of this, including your 'vision' per se, may have something to do with that…"

Naruto followed Koki's line of sight until his eyes landed on the incomplete mirror that supposedly belonged to Michiko, the apparent dominant half of Naruto's own soul. Naruto looked back at the frame and the shard in slight disdain.

"You think so…?" Naruto asked in curiosity with a slight hint of sarcasm.

"What other possible explanation could there be? When you think about it, why is it that Michiko's mirror is the only one out of the three within your subconscious left incomplete? Further more, why is it that hers is of a notably different shape compared to the other two?"

The pup did bring up a good point.

"It's just like I said Naruto. I believe that in time, everything will become clear and fall into place. Even though I am still uncertain with the specifics regarding my duty as your guardian, or even my own existence for that matter, I promise you that I will do everything that I can to help you…and stay beside you along the way."

Naruto felt the genuine concern and compassion emitting through the small creature's icy blue eyes.

"All we can really do for the time being is to just put our trust into each other and see how our lives unfold from now on."

Even though Naruto was still in disbelief, deep down inside knew that there was no other way out of this mess than to believe all that Koki had said to him for the last little while. While he was now presented with a more plausible explanation with regards his infamous gender change – as opposed to simply waking up to a bad joke gone wrong – Naruto still had a sinking feeling that reverting back into his original body was not a near-future possibility. He had no actual proof to back up his assumption, but his gut instinct was usually correct for complex situations such as this; and boy was it ever complicated.

"There is still much for the two of us to understand but I think that we have extended our stay here long enough. Let us depart for the time being."

And in the blink of an eye, the entire room vanished as the pair exited out of the astral plane and back into reality.

——†——

Naruto opened up his eyes slowly and noticed that he was back in the real world, in his female form, still sitting on the bench underneath a cloudless sky, on the rooftop of Sunagakure's General Clinic. Gently nestled on top of Minako's lap and loosely held within her hands remained the untouched contents of her bentou box which she had intended on consuming during her well deserved lunch break. She simply sat in her place in complete silence, not even remembering that she had company seated right next to her. Had it not been for the gentle touch of Koki's soft paw resting on her forearm, she would have continued to remain in her silent trance for an undetermined amount of time. She glanced over at the pup and noticed that he too had also reverted back into his real world disguise, into his all-white 'normal looking' fox form.

"I cannot guarantee an easy road ahead for either of us Naruto," Minako faintly smiled at Koki's use of her real name, "But together, I am confident that we can make it through alright."

Minako gazed back into those warm blue eyes and found that she couldn't bring herself to despise the enigmatic creature. The truth, regardless of the context, was normally never a pleasant thing to experience, and her particular situation was downright uncomfortable. But even with all of the uncertainty, the confusion, and completely farfetched "answers" – so to speak – left hanging in the air, Minako knew that she had no choice but to believe in Koki's every word. Part of her did it out of spite. Part of her did it because she had no other choice. The rest came from her unexplainable inability to label the fox pup as a liar.

"We just have to be patient…"

_Patience…_was something that Minako had to submit to if she ever wanted to get her life back on track. Not saying that things were going terrible as of lately but if she ever wanted the whole truth, her original body and the normal life that she had grown so accustomed to, she would just have to continue on this indeterminate trail with diligence and drive rather than simply waiting for things to come to her. Minako pulled out her pocket watch and calculated that her entire subconscious episode with Koki, from start to finish, had only lasted for just under 15 minutes, which meant that she still had a good 40 minutes left until her lunch break was over.

"Mina…"

"Hmm?" Minako glanced over at Koki.

"I-if you don't mind me asking. I-I mean, i-if it were possible…would I be able to speak with my mother, just for a bit?"

Minako gazed into the pup's large and hopeful eyes.

"I…I'll see what I can do." Koki wagged his tail in anticipation.

Minako closed her eyes and began to establish a connection between herself and the Kyuubi,

_Well…you heard the little guy. Are you going to talk to him?_

A few moments of silence passed. **No…but it will happen eventually.**

Minako was slightly surprised. _Why so hesitant?_

**What did I tell you about questioning my decisions human?** The demon responded with slight irritation.

_Okay, okay. Sheesh! No need to bite my head off. I was just wondering why you wouldn't since…well…the two of you_ are _Mother and Son after all. Um…right?_

**Not everything needs to happen immediately brat. Patience is a virtue that you have yet to handle appropriately.** Minako slightly cringed in annoyance. **Delicate situations require time. Learn that before you decide to think with your mouth instead of your head.**

And just like that, the connection was severed. Minako opened up her eyes and glanced back down at Koki who was still waiting with eagerness. She gulped down the slight nervousness that had found its way into her throat and addressed the pup shortly following.

"U-um…not this time little guy. It's uh…kind of complicated but she can't really speak to you right now. Sorry…" Minako watched Koki's eyes go downcast while his ears drooped down a bit in defeat.

"I see…" Koki nodded to himself a few times before looking back up into Minako's sympathetic eyes. "Thank you for trying though Mina. I appreciate the gesture." Without even a moment's notice, Koki jumped off of the bench and began to walk away.

"H-hey wait, where are you going?"

The pup stopped in his tracks and looked back over his shoulder towards Minako.

"Just…around. I'm sure you'll need a bit of time to yourself to let all of this new information regarding our acquaintanceship sink in, am I correct?"

Minako felt slightly pained at the sight of the pup's obvious attempt to cover up his disappointment.

"W-well yeah but…"

Minako was quite aware that sometimes, actions were more appropriate than words. Rather than try to reason with the pup's departure, the blonde made her way over to the pup until she was right next to him. She got down on her knees and gently rested one of her hands on top of Koki's head and gave it a gentle scratch.

"Hey…you know what never fails to cheer me up?"

Koki looked up at Minako. "What is that?"

"Good food." Minako repositioned herself until she sat down cross-legged beside the pup. She set down her bentou box on the ground between the two of them, removed the lid, unclasped her chopsticks and held out a piece of tamagoyaki **(2)** in front of Koki for him to consume. The pup gazed back at the delicious morsel in both uncertainty and hunger.

"Go on, eat up! It's alright."

Koki slowly inched his snout towards the omelette roll until it was barely touching the tip of his nose. The moment he got a full whiff of the fried egg that tempted him so mercilessly, he downed the offered treat in one quick bite; happily chewing on the wonderful combination of rice and egg with vigour and savouring the faint taste of soy sauce that made his palate sigh. Minako couldn't help but laugh at the fox's cute antics.

"Well…aren't we hungry today?" Minako said playfully. "I've got plenty more in here just waiting to be eaten so feel free to help yourself."

"Mina…" The pup looked into his new master's eyes in genuine gratitude. "Thank you…"

Minako nodded back and gave Koki another pat on the head.

"You're welcome…"

It was a strange feeling. Even after she was bombarded with the whole revelation of being the reincarnation of Michiko the enchantress (sort of) to which she still didn't quite 100 percent believe, for a brief moment, Minako had completely forgotten about all of the inner turmoil and simply basked in the peace and comfort that she was currently sharing with her so called "guardian," Koki, among other things. It was in this moment where she felt the faint bond of friendship, a heart-felt connection; silently form between the two of them.

Prophesied or foretold destinies aside, Minako was actually able to view the pup as a friend and companion as opposed to her "guardian" (as he claimed to be), just another talking animal or even as a potential pet. The two of them had to overcome fairly difficult hardships to get to where they are now and in a sense, have also experienced great loneliness in the process. Perhaps it was their commonalities that made the blonde see her new animal companion in a completely different light. Whether or not their meeting was ordained by higher powers Minako will never know, but she had a feeling that something like this could only happen once in a lifetime. And besides, who was she to turn down friendship?

"Did you make this yourself?" Koki said with a mouthful of onigiri **(3)**. Minako couldn't help but laugh again.

"I attempted. The tamagoyaki and the onigiri are my own recipe. The rest were store bought."

"It's very good!"

Minako wasn't quite sure how Koki was able to breathe, let alone talk, with so much food in his tiny mouth but either way, she found it comical, endearing, and only slightly disturbing. The pair spent a few more moments in silence simply enjoying the shared meal between them. Minako's lunch was almost completely consumed until a new voice had broken their moment.

"Minako-chan. I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch break but I need you to head on down to Ward 1-C immediately. It's urgent."

The serious yet concerned voice of her supervisor emitting from Minako's communicator had surprised the blonde to say the least. Dr. Kimura was a highly reserved woman and she carried herself with dignity. Medical Care was her passion so she always seemed calm even when the situation seemed dire. Hearing the slight waver in Dr. Kimura's voice from her unexpected announcement made Minako lower her brows in suspicion. Without even bothering to inquire her supervisor for further details, Minako responded to her orders promptly.

"Of course. I'll be down there shortly."

Minako looked down at Koki who was happily eating away at the last few scraps of her lunch. The pup looked up into her eyes as he quietly chewed on an octopus sausage **(4)**. A little bit of the "tentacle" was hanging out the side of his mouth.

"An emergency call. Sorry Koki but I gotta run."

The pup swallowed the last of his meal and nodded in return.

"Not a problem Mina. I'm all finished here."

"So I see…" Minako lightly cleaned up the area around their eating place and gathered up her bentou box. She paused for a bit and looked down at Koki before departing. She was about to give her goodbye but Koki was the one that spoke up first.

"I…I can't thank you again Mina. As…as small as the gesture was, it…really did cheer me up. You truly are kind."

"Well…I don't really know about being truly kind but," Minako knelt down and gave Koki one last pet, "what kind of a person would I be if I turned a blind eye to a friend in need?" The blonde smiled down at the pup who continued to nuzzle her much welcomed hand appreciatively.

"So…I guess I'll see you around?"

The pup nodded and smiled. "We shall…take care Mina."

"I will…"

Minako watched on as the fox pup gracefully made his way off of the rooftop and into the depths of the village. The blonde spent a few moments to herself simply recapping her newfound revelation in the budding relationship that beginning to form between her and her "guardian," Koki. As the gentle summer breeze blew threw her golden hair, if only for a moment, Minako had almost completely forgotten the burden that she had been bestowed with not too long ago.

——†——

After placing her empty bentou box into her work locker and spending a few moments in the near by washroom cleaning and prepping herself for her afternoon shift, Minako made her way on over to Ward 1-C on the main floor of the General Clinic, as she was instructed to. The sight of her supervisor and 3 other medics carefully tending to two patients – two hospital personnel per patient – made her raise an eyebrow in confusion. For most minor to moderate injuries or maladies, there were usually only 1 or 2 medics for an entire ward – each ward had a maximum patient occupancy of 8. Seeing 4 medics, one of them a doctor nonetheless, tending to only two patients seemed a little out of the ordinary.

Minako cleared her throat. "I'm here Kimura-sensei." **(5)**

Dr. Kimura glanced over her shoulder. "Ahh Minako…you've arrived."

"So…what's going on? It seemed urgent."

Dr. Kimura stood up straight and turned around until she was directly facing her young subordinate.

"You…might want to brace yourself."

"W-why…what happened?"

With dignity and professionalism, Dr. Kimura stepped to the side and finally revealed the identity of her patient. The sight that had greeted Minako struck a sharp chord from within her.

"K-KAKASHI-SENSEI?!"

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** A little bit longer than the last chapter but I'm actually quite glad how this one turned out. Chapter 12 was a little rushed on my part and I apologize for that so I hoped that you all enjoyed this chapter a little bit more.

I know it'll probably be a while before my story can achieve its former glory among you readers, as given by my year long hiatus without prior notice, but this time, I'm keeping my promise of bringing life into this story and have it continue on as it was intended. Hope it still keeps you all interested! Stay tuned.

**(1)** Kind of gives a sort of Valkyrie Profile feel to it, don't you think?

**(2)** Tamgoyaki – A kind of Japanese omelette that's made up of multiple layers of egg and rolled up into a nice compact rectangular shape. It' can be additionally fortified as a sushi topping in which it is placed on top of a pillow of rice and fastened with a belt of seaweed. Great with soy sauce! Mmm…

**(3)** Onigiri – The general name for a typical Japanese rice ball.

**(4)** Octopus Sausage – It may sound weird but it's NOT octopus mashed up into a sausage-like form. It's actually the end piece of a regular sausage (typically a hot dog) with the bottom part cut into slits and curved until it sort of resembles an octopus. It's simply just a cute and creative way to bring life into an ordinary hot dog.

**(5)** The "sensei" honorific isn't just limited to the traditional master/disciple relationship. It is generally given to figures of authority which include teachers, professors, and even professionals such as lawyers, political representatives, and (in this case) doctors. But I'm sure you all knew that already right?

FYI…this story made me hungry as I was going through it.


	14. The Impure

Enchantress

Chapter 14 – The Impure

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**A/N:** **No new chapter until I get at least 10 reviews for this one. No exceptions.** See Author's note at the end of the chapter for full details.

——†——

As Minako continued to gaze upon the pale form of her former Jounin instructor and mission supervisor, she found herself at an almost complete loss for words. Through her eyes, the revered "Copy Ninja" Kakashi had always been the powerful and practically untouchable ninja that his reputation had always labelled him to be; despite his subtle but infamous shortcoming as a sort of "literary pervert." But through it all, just simply thinking of the mysterious and reputably untouchable Kakashi in a state of anything less than healthy would always remain surprising to the blonde, and now was no exception. The pained look on the Jounin's face coupled with his pale complexion and mildly profuse sweating made Minako nervous in worry.

"W-what happened to him?"

"Based on the report that we have received from his partners during their most recent mission in the northern most areas of the Wind Country, he had been apparently poisoned by an unidentified assailant while trying to protect his cohorts. I did not want to divulge into further details any more than necessary for patient care is my primary responsibility, not investigation."

_Fair enough…_Minako thought.

"As we are currently unaware of the actual kind of poison that had been injected into your mission leader's body, all that can be done for now is to sedate him and undergo the delicate task of extracting it from his body as soon as we possibly can."

"R-right…right."

"Judging by his physical condition by observation, the poison appears to be moderately potent, but regardless, we must act quickly. Minako if you would, please continue on with my duty of sedating Hatake-san while we wait for the clinical toxicologists to arrive with the pathogenic buffering solution so that we may begin the poison extraction procedure."

Minako nodded obediently. "I will."

"Good. Now, I need to step out for a few moments to tend to my previous patients in the ward just across the hallway. Should the toxicologists arrive prior to my return, you are to immediately assist them in the appropriate matter according to their instructions."

Minako felt slightly nervous at the possibility of diving into practical subject matter that she was not yet accustomed to: pathogenic treatment. However, being the optimist that she was (generally), the blonde gave one final nod in both approval and understanding towards her supervisor's instructions and proceeded with her designated task. She made her way over to Kakashi's bedside and spent a few moments simply looking at his uncomfortable form. After taking a deep and relieving breath, Minako formed the hand seals necessary to activate the chakra points from within her palms, rested them on either side of her patient's head, and began to anaesthetize him.

The _Taberu no Kokochi_** (1)** technique was a very delicate process, as is the case with all other medical related techniques. A loss of concentration, chakra control or even both factors can result in acute unexepected damage to the patient's brain and/or spinal cord due to the technique's nature of primarily affecting the central nervous system. While she was a little anxious at handling the task of sedating her former Jounin instructor, Minako continued to echo the words of caution that Tsunade had continuously badgered her with countless times during each of their one-on-one medic-nin lessons:

"_As a medic, human lives are literally directed by your own hands. Even the slightest flaw or slip in concentration can even turn a harmless first-aid procedure into a potentially dangerous life-threatening risk. Do you WANT to live with the image of being the one responsible for involuntary manslaughter after attempting to remedy a simple flesh wound?! I THINK NOT!"_

While Minako was certain that Tsunade's overuse of the last few exclamations were nothing short of a mere attempt at scaring her, it was nonetheless effective when it came to fully comprehending the highly precise and exacting job of a medic. It was an annoyingly constant message but one that continued to stick with her even to this date.

After watching Kakashi's face ease down to a more relaxed position, Minako then proceeded with the task of removing his garments so that the medics responsible for extracting the poison from his body would be able to operate with ease. She first removed the standard green ninja vest as carefully as she would without accidentally waking him. Since Kakashi was under only mild sedation – as opposed to a deep sleep – she didn't want to disrupt is currently docile state and unintentionally cause his heart rate to speed up, which would ultimately result in a faster diffusion of the poison throughout his entire body. Being uncertain of his natural sleeping habits didn't work in the blonde's favour either.

Shortly after placing her former sensei's vest on a nearby chair, Minako then performed a few hand seals to instigate the Chakra Scalpel technique at her fingertips. The blonde then made a small incision on Kakashi's navy shirt, starting at the vertex of the collar, and proceeded with a nice clean cut until she had completely severed the fabric right down the center. Within a matter of seconds, three of the expectant clinical toxicologists arrived in the ward with each one carrying two pails of the much awaited buffering solution that Dr. Kimura had been previously talking about.

"We apologize for our tardiness Minako-san."

"Not a problem. In fact, the three of you arrived right on time. I've just finished preparing Kakashi for the operation."

The toxicologist, with whom Minako knew as being named Karu, nodded back in gratitude.

"Thank you Minako-san. We should be able to take it from here. We will let you know by your communicator if we need anything else from you."

"Sure thing. Dr. Kimura requested that I assist you if you needed an extra set of hands but if everything is under your control then I'll be returning back to my previously assigned duties in Ward 2B. Dr. Kimura said that she's just across the hall in the other ward if you need her. I'll let her know that you guys are here."

With one final nod between the four medics and one final chat with her supervisor, Minako made her way up towards her previous work area where she was designated at earlier this morning.

——†——

Upon Minako's arrival into Ward 2B, the sight of two new patients into her assigned medical bay made her stop for bit while she carefully took in their appearances. She nearly jumped at her results.

"Y-YOU TWO!"

The two individuals that she had bluntly addressed looked up at the pointing blonde in a surprisingly professional manner.

"Yes…us two."

Minako suddenly felt very small and inferior to the calm and slightly indifferent looks that were given to her by the Kazekage's older siblings. It was only now when she realized two incredibly surprising and uncommon things: Kankuro's hood and face paint were both removed from his person and Temari's hair was let completely down. Had Minako not known any better, she could have sworn that the two siblings were entirely different individuals. Seeing the pair as they are now compared to how they looked normally was somewhat of a rare, once-in-a-blue-moon type of occurrence.

"I-I…uh…" Just then, Minako had a thought. "Hey, wait a minute. If you're here, does that mean that the two of you were…"

"If you're wondering if whether or not we were the ones assigned to accompany your Jounin leader during his mission in our country, then yes you're correct."

Minako's left eye twitched. Even in her female body, Kankuro still had a habit of addressing people in a very straightforward and almost blunt manner. Not that he was being rude or condescending in any way but Minako would have preferred a simple greeting before going straight to main point.

"You'll have to forgive him Minako-san. He's still quite inexperienced when it comes to talking properly with women."

"Just what is THAT supposed to mean?!"

"If it doesn't make sense to you now, I highly doubt that it ever will."

"Will you stop that?!"

Minako couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Seeing Temari act as every little bit of the sister that she is in front of her brother, either one for that matter, was a surprisingly refreshing sight to see once in a while. All three of the famous "Sand Siblings" were known across the major countries as highly skilled, trained, professional, and battle-hardened warriors ever since their debut during one of the Chuunin exams which were hosted by Konoha roughly 5 years prior. Even though the youngest sibling, Gaara, had mainly been the one that stood out the most amongst the three of them (for obvious reasons), the two older siblings still held their own when it came to their competencies on the battlefield. But now, seeing them act less like soldiers and more like actual siblings was definitely a sight to behold.

"Um…Minako-san? Would you like to lend me a hand?"

Minako's slightly absent gaze was redirected towards the sound of the voice. She found herself staring at the confused expression of Taruno, the medic currently tending to Kankuro's rib injuries.

"O-oh! R-right! I'll get on it. Sorry about that."

"Not a problem. You can help Temari-sama in the reparation and proper bandaging of her right arm and left leg."

Temari followed up with Taruno's mini diagnosis. "Mild fractures. Nothing too severe."

Minako nodded in understanding as she silently marvelled at just how unlady-like Temari was when it came to her injuries. In comparison to all of the other young kunoichi's of their age group, particularly with the other Konoha girls, out of all of them, Temari was definitely the one with the thickest skin, hands down. It didn't really come as a surprise to Minako as the eldest sand sibling was always carrying around that giant iron fan of hers as if it were a water bottle. Minako concluded that while Sakura possessed the greatest physical strength, with Ino coming at a close second due to their exceptional chakra control as medics, Temari slightly outranked the two of them when it came to having the greatest measure of natural strength. The sandy blonde's pain tolerance was probably way up there as well.

After carefully placing Temari's injured right arm in a comfortable splint, Minako moved on towards the slow but required process of healing the older girl's fractured left tibia. A few moments of silence passed between all of the room inhabitants until the other medic left to tend to other duties, leaving the three teens alone in the ward.

"I take it that you're probably wondering as to how your Jounin supervisor got to his current state?" asked Kankuro.

Minako just finished healing what she could of Temari's leg. All that was left to do now was to let the human body's natural recovery process to take place.

"It has crossed my mind."

The blonde medic sat down in a nearby chair taking a few moments to rest. Chakra-based healing was no easy task.

"However, judging by Kakashi-sensei's whole hush-hush attitude towards his mission ever since our arrival, made me think that it was…well, something pretty important."

"Not at all. It was merely an investigative mission that requested his assistance by our Kazekage to your Hokage. Since he was reported to be your team's traveling body guard for your mission to our village, Tsunade-sama made one final report change to have Kakashi-san partake in our mission with us during his time here." Said Temari.

"Hmm…interesting."

"To put it simply Minako-san, some of our village's scouts have received numerous reports regarding strange and abnormal activity occurring from within the vicinity of Niwa Ridge **(2)**, the destination of our mission objective."

Minako couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion. "Niwa Ridge? But Dr. Kimura told me that you guys were still within the Wind Country. I thought this place was all sand."

"The large majority of it is, yes. But in reality, the areas of the region closer to the borders and the ocean do in fact have a few rock formations scattered about the area. The Niwa Ridge in particular, while quite some distance away, lies fairly close to the Wind-Bear country border. Being the moderately mountainous region that the Bear Country is, it should come to no surprise that the Niwa Ridge would exist inside the Wind Country." Added Kankuro.

"Neat…" Minako added. After finding no questions from the blonde medic, the brunette cleared his throat and continued on.

"According to some of the sightings that have been made by the nearby rural residents, further investigation into the matter eventually led us towards an almost neglected but nonetheless present ridge opening which turned out to be an unmarked and unidentified cave."

"We have been told that within the last month or so, there have been numerous killings caused by an unknown and presently unidentified assailant. Judging by the classified pictures that have accompanied our case, the markings and injuries that were inflicted on the victims belonged to neither man nor weapon. In other words, an animal."

Minako felt a strange chill go down her spine. Not just because of the idea that some wild animal was responsible for intoxicating her former sensei but because of Temari's brief mentioning of the attacks initiating from approximately one month ago.

"Or at least what we thought was an animal…"

——†——

As the three Jounins made their way further into the incredibly dim cave, with only a single lit torch in each of their hands as their only source of light, Kakashi, Temari and Kankuro eventually stumbled upon a truly awe-inspiring sight that made them halt in their tracks. With a small sliver of light beaming down at an angle through a crack in the cavern ceiling, the faint outline of an ancient-looking and dilapidated shrine could be seen just a few meters ahead. The erosion of the stones, the rotting of the wood, and the notable profusions of various mosses and lichens only seemed to add to the structure's archaic image.

"So, this is the place?" asked Kakashi.

"From what our Intel has gathered, yes." Replied Temari.

"Be on the alert. There have been a handful of reports citing some strange and unexplained activities occurring within these ruins."

Kakashi turned his head over to look at the puppet master. "Are there any particular examples that we should be aware of?"

Before Kankuro had a chance to respond back, Temari interrupted the two from conversing any further.

"Shh…do you hear that?"

Kakashi and Kankuro obeyed the wind maker's heed of caution and spent a few moments simply listening to their surroundings without making too much excessive noise. To their surprise, the two men did in fact year a noise that was foreign to them. In fact, it sounded a lot like the deep and feral hiss upon careful inspection.

"Yeah…we're not alone."

The three of them took defensive positions and readied themselves for an oncoming attack in opposing directions with each one leaving only a hair's length of distance away from their respective weapons. The sound grew louder and louder but from which direction none could really tell due to the high reverb and echo potential of the cavern. The hiss seemed deathly close until…

"WATCH OUT!" **(3)**

Kakashi immediately dropped his torch and spontaneously tackled Temari to the ground just in time to avoid a nasty sting from an unusually large scorpion, consequently resulting in the fan user to drop her own torch and extinguish its flame in the process. The light tremor of the ground that shook shortly after the creature's attempted attack on the wind maker gave the three Jounins a better indication as to just how large it really was. While the light from Kankuro's remaining torche was far too inferior for the trio to even get a complete view of their surroundings, the highly recognizable crawling legs of a scorpion – which was almost as tall as Kakashi– froze the three of them in their places.

"Thank you Kakashi-san…you have my gratitude."

"You're very welcome Temari-san."

The silver-haired Jounin helped his female mission partner up while the two of them followed Kankuro's troubled gaze. The puppet master was staring straight ahead at the eight glowing eyes of the disgusting arachnid, with its stinger ominously positioned at a downward angle from above the trio. The illusive venom of the scorpion which was dripping almost offensively from the tip of its stinger lightly glistened from the glow of Kankuro's torch. The most terrifying thing about their situation was not because of the fact that they were up against a gigantic and possibly mutated scorpion but rather from the eerie stillness that the creature was taunting them with. It almost felt like it was challenging them to make the first move. The trio was able to pick up additional noises emitting from the scorpion but from exactly what they were originating from was unknown at the moment.

"Dear God what is that smell?!"

Kankuro's exclamation caused both Temari and Kakashi to take a whiff of the surrounding air around them, resulting in the pair cringing at the foul and putrid odour. Kakashi winced at the all too familiar scent.

"Corpses…"

"Ugh! What the hell are we going to do?! Unless we can find someway of lighting up this entire area completely we won't even stand a chance against this thing!" exclaimed an irritated Kankuro.

Just then, Temari had a thought, completely ignoring the almost overpowering scent of rotting flesh. "Kakashi-san. From my understanding, you know how to harness the elements of fire and lightning is that correct?"

"Yes."

Temari nodded in return. "I have a plan, although it may be a little difficult to pull off without timing and a bit of luck. Kakashi-san. I know this may seem like I'm asking much but we hardly have any time left to think of any other alternatives. Please, utilize your lighting-based skills to illuminate the area around that shrine over there. Kankuro you will assist him. I will distract the monster and make my over to its other side so that it can't attack all three of us at once. From there you will follow my directions."

The two men nodded. "Right."

Temari nodded back and stared up at the eerily still form of the giant leering scorpion.

"On my signal…GO!" Almost immediately following, the blonde opened up her giant iron fan.

"FUUTON: HAIHEKI KOUJIN!" **(4)**

As Kakashi and Kankuro made their way over to the nearby shrine, Temari unleashed a powerful gust of ashy smoke up towards the eyes of the giant scorpion causing it to hiss in an incredible volume at both the shock and the irritation from the ash particles. The male pair eventually made their way over to the small shrine ruins as Kakashi raised his hand up high above him and channelled chakra into his fist.

"RAIKIRI!"

The brilliant white and blue shine of the copy ninja's electrically-charged right hand lit up a lot more of the surrounding area than Temari had initially believed. Not only was the entire mini-shrine area lit up, but the wind maker was actually able to get a very decent view of the surrounding cavern on top of that. Much to her astonishment, she was also able to pick out the notable forms of two moderately sized fire pits located on either side of the main body of the shrine. Temari used her agility to make her way over to the posterior of the scorpion but not before shouting out an order at her brother.

"Kankuro! Light those fire pits!"

A quick glance behind him and the puppet master got the picture immediately. "You got it!"

Kankuro performed a high back flip into the air and tossed two perfectly aimed kunai daggers with exploding tags attached to them at the designated fire pits. The twin explosions set the pits along with the aged wood and fauna within them ablaze. Not too long afterwards, Kakashi, immediately extinguished his lightning-charged fist in order to conserve his chakra reserves.

With phase one of her plan complete, Temari used the glow from the shrine flames to make her way up towards a few of the higher ledges that were protruding from the cavern wall from behind the scorpion. However, her inability to predict just how effective her distraction was against the creature ultimately worked against her favour. It happened much too fast for her to comprehend for when she was located just beside the gigantic creature, the scorpion must have sensed its prey trying to escape and swatted one of its pincers towards her direction.

"AHHH!"

"TEMARI!"

"TEMARI-SAN!"

With a painful slam of her back against the rocky walls, Temari's body shook in pain as she slowly slid down to a seated form. Unfortunately for her, the blunt force of the trauma was directed towards her left leg where the giant pincer had struck her. She was quite certain that her leg was broken, if not cracked at the very least, for the shooting pain that travelled up and down her entire leg was almost unbearable.

"YOU BASTARD! Kakashi-san! Tend to my sister at once! I will distract this little son of a bitch while you make your way over, got it?!"

"Understood!"

Within the span of a few seconds, Kankuro unravelled the scroll that was strapped to his back and summoned forth two of his three signature puppets: Karasu and Kuroari. Almost immediately following, the puppet master detached all of the currently existing limbs on both his puppets as they revealed each of their concealed bladed weapons from within. He directed the four bladed arms of Karasu to band together and pierce the eyes of the giant scorpion in an attempt to blind it. Although the creature easily sensed the oncoming attacked and blocked the flying blades with its incredibly tough pincers, as a follow up attack, Kankuro flung the six arms of Kuroari and used the saw-like protrusions along the length of the puppet's arms and swung it up against the creature's back, effectively grating scorpion's body without mercy. A piercing screech emitted from the creature as it echoed throughout the entire cavern. Kakashi in turn, took this moment to rush over to Temari's side.

"I'm here Temari-san. Try not to move too much."

As the notable glow of the healing technique emitted from the copy ninja's hand, Temari immediately gripped onto Kakashi's wrist without notice, effectively stopping the recovery process.

"What are yo-"

"We don't have time for that Kakashi-san! With the limited amount of visibility that we have, we cannot afford to waste time trying to regroup. If this creature is indeed the perpetrator behind these incidents then we must exterminate it while we still can!"

Kakashi immediately understood the strong blonde's resolve and didn't press any further.

"What is it that you want me to do Temari-san?"

Temari made a quick glance over at her younger brother who was unfortunately hit on the side by one of the scorpion's pincers. But despite the pain, the brunette continued to push forwards, eager to uphold his duty of keeping the monster at bay while Kakashi and his sister remained essentially vulnerable to an attack.

Temari's eyes glanced towards the small sliver of light that was peaking up from the top of the cavern ceiling high above the ancient shrine. "See that tiny opening up there?" Kakashi followed the blonde's gaze and nodded in understanding. "Since sunlight is peering directly into this cavern from that opening, we can use that to our advantage to not only immobilize that creature but to also provide us with just the right amount of lighting for us to eliminate it with ease."

Kakashi nodded at the blonde's reasoning.

"If that monster is anything like a regular scorpion, it should be sent into a complete full-body shock if we can expose it to a sudden amount of direct sunlight **(5)**. If we can forge a perforation large enough from that opening, this entire battle can turn in our favour."

The two of them looked up at the sound of a suddenly loud crash, just in time to notice Kankuro barely avoid an oncoming blow from the scorpion's stinger.

"Kankuro can only last for so long so we can't exhaust him any more than we need to. Here's what I need you to do."

After whispering a few of her plan's main points to Kakashi and handing him three small vials of oil, the copy ninja nodded and made his way up the nearby cavern perforations until he stood at an elevation high enough to see both the entire body of the creature as well as the shrine ruins that it was gradually approaching. Temari pushed herself up against the rocky wall with her good leg and clutched onto her iron fan tightly. After watching Kankuro just barely avoid a second attempted stinger attack from the scorpion, Temari gave her command with a strong leader-like tone.

"NOW KAKASHI-SAN!"

Kakashi tossed the three vials of oil into the air and formed a few lightning-quick hand seals in the process.

"KATON: GOUKAKYUU NO JUTSU!"

The impressive fireball that shot from the copy ninja's mouth shattered the vials causing burning oil to rain down towards the giant scorpion. In an almost immediate fashion, Temari sprung up into the air with all of her might using her good leg, positioned herself until she was staring at the falling fire at a downwards angle, which was located just between her and the giant scorpion, and opened her giant fan.

"NINPOU: DAIKAMAITACHI NO JUTSU!"

The blonde sent forth her signature sickling winds towards the bulk of the burning oil causing it to spiral outwards and diffuse across a much larger area than it was initially released at from Kakashi's position. An incredibly large area of the cavern floor was set ablaze, presenting the three Jounins with more light than previously and effectively trapping the giant creature within a ring of fire. The scorpion let out another high pitched screech of anger as some of the burning oil dropped onto its body.

After a slightly painful landing back on a moderately sized patch of semi-burning moss, Temari directed her gaze towards her younger brother.

"Kankuro! Summon forth all three of your puppets, tightly compact them together into a single group, and throw them towards my location!"

Temari had always been known as "the tactician" among the three sand siblings because of her unrivalled intellect, and for good reason too. Many of Sunagakure's militia and investigation squads were all constructed and managed by the eldest daughter of the late Fourth Kazekage and thus, her prowess as both a planner and a visionary had never once been questioned. Kankuro nodded at his sister's command, knowing that whatever plan she had devised would see them successful in this battle.

"You got it!"

Kankuro used his summoning scroll a second time and summoned his third and final puppet to his arsenal: Sanshuo. As he was instructed, the puppet master detached certain pieces of his three puppets and tightly assembled all of them together so that they were single, solid, and compact entity. Kankuro additionally performed one final manipulation so that his unified puppet set was compressed and curved into a tight ball-like formation.

"Here it comes!"

Kankuro swung his supreme masterpiece towards his sister's patiently waiting form with all of his might and detached the puppeteer strings so that it was in free flight. Seconds later, Temari opened up her giant iron fan and threw it with astonishing precision at the flying object. She hit it at just the right angle and location so that it immediately shot forwards in the direction of the small cavern opening that she had been eyeing ever since their arrival at the cavern's shrine ruins. As a final addition to Temari's plan, Kakashi performed a few hand seals and raised a hand to his mouth.

"FUUTON: SHUNJINDAN NO JUTSU" **(6)**

A powerful jet of whirling air shot out from Kakashi's mouth and towards the flying conglomerate of puppets. The wind jet directly hit the airborne object causing it to soar towards its desired location with an extra boost. Upon immediate contact with the small cavern ceiling crack, the 'flying wrecking ball' blew open an incredibly large hole which seemed to open up even further; Temari concluded that it was possibly due to the slightly weakened structural integrity of the geographic formation after years of external wind erosion. The resulting rays of sunlight that beamed down through the perforation shone directly upon the flame-ensnared scorpion causing it to recoil back in surprise and screech in shock.

It was from this moment where the Jounin trio was finally able to get a complete and thorough look at the monster that they have been fighting – and the sight was nothing short of mortifying. The scorpion was of a grotesque dark purple color, highly reminiscent of the broth from a brewing poison. The large majority of its body was chipped, peeled and lacerated in multiple places, exposing its bleeding flesh for all to see. But the most disturbing sight of them all was the numerous moving forms on its back. Located directly beneath what seemed to be a semi-transparent protective sac were the scuttling forms of seven scorpion babies moving around its mother's back in sporadic and unpredictable movements. Garnishing the bodies of all the arachnid offspring was blood…human blood…and lots of it. The horrific sight was only topped by the half eaten arms, legs, torsos, and heads of what was assumed to be the creature's most recent victims which could be seen scattered around the protective sac in multiple places. The unknown sounds and scent that had been bothering the team of three since their encounter with the creature before them not too long ago had now been revealed.

"My God…"

All three Jounins were left completely petrified until Temari snapped out her own reverie first.

"NOW'S OUR CHANCE!"

Kakashi and Kankuro didn't need to be told twice. The two men leaped high into the air while Temari channelled the both her chakra as well as the element of wind within her fan.

"NINPOU: YOUZANSEN!" **(7)**

The blonde threw her fully opened fan with an incredible amount of force towards the giant scorpion at a slight angle. The large projectile ripped through the air in an arc-like curve while its impressively fast spinning motion made the iron fan greatly resemble the appearance of a buzz saw. Upon contact with the monstrous creature, the scorpion let out a howl of pain as the spinning fan cleanly sliced off all four legs along the right side of the creature's body.

In a simultaneous fashion, Kakashi channelled his chakra and the element of lightning towards six kunai daggers (three in each hand) where as Kankuro used a complex movement of his fingertips to call forth, disassemble, and reassemble Karasu and Kuroari in such a way so that only the bladed arms belonging to both puppets were arranged in a 10-pointed star-shaped pattern.

"RAITEI KOURYOURAN!" **(8)**

"HISHOUGU: TONBOGIRI" **(9)**

Kankuro manipulated his flying star so that it sliced threw the air, ultimately hacking off the remaining four legs on the left side of the scorpion's body. Kakashi on the other hand threw all six of his lightning-charged daggers down towards the monster, imbedding them into the ground in such a way so that they trapped the monster in a perfect circle.

"Temari-san! Kankuro-san! We have to take cover, quickly!"

Within a matter of seconds, the six kunai daggers each shot a single stream of lightning back and forth across the circle towards another dagger, multiple times, battering and scorching the trapped creature within it with every hit. Quickly thinking on his feet, Kankuro came up with an idea after assuming that something big was about to happen thanks to Kakashi's technique.

"Temari! Kakashi-san! Get over here, quickly!"

The addressed pair did as they were told as the puppet master called forth Sanshuo and opened up its frill.

"Quick! Hop onto Sanshuo's back and duck behind its shield!"

The trio crammed their way onto the wooden salamander puppet's back as Kankuro activated its defence mechanism, effectively wrapping all of them up within its protective shell. On the outside of their mini bomb shelter, to where the dying scorpion monster was, the shots of lightning from Kakashi's technique kept increasing in both frequency and speed until all six daggers shone with great intensity and simultaneously exploded, causing the entire cavern to shake from the heavy shockwave that followed shortly afterwards.

After the resounding booming noise had died down and the shaking had more or less halted, Kankuro opened up Sanshuo's protective shelter and released everyone from within its protective confinement. The three Jounins looked towards the still and blackened form of the gargantuan arachnid which was unanimously assumed to be killed as observed from its completely charred body and smoking flesh. Unfortunately for them, now was not a time to rejoice for the semi-transparent protective sac that was located on the monster's backside (which contained both the scorpion's offspring as well as the partially recognizable remnants of their human meals) was still perfectly intact but with one and almost frightening exception: a small tear had somehow been made along the length of the sac with the now motherless scorpion hatchlings attempting to free themselves from their nest.

"Dear God…"

"It can't be…!"

Temari quickly glanced up at the giant gaping hole that exposed the cavern to the outside world, opened up her fan and made a few dance-like movements with it.

"W-what are you doing?"

"We won't be able to kill them properly if all of them are released! The only thing that we can do for now is to get them all at once while they're still together!"

A faint rumble was heard from above the standing trio and sure enough, the clear blue sky that could be seen from their self-made cavern opening had begun to cloud over with grey. Quick flashes of lightning could be seen streaking across the billowing clouds above. However, this newfound sense of relief was shortly lived for the scorpion babies had now torn a hole large enough in their mother's protective nest for them to escape completely.

"Keep them at bay for just a little while longer!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!"

Kakashi and Kankuro attempted to fend off the seven, almost human-sized, baby scorpions while giving Temari the allotted time necessary to follow through with her intended plan.

_Come on…! Come on…!_

The two Jounin males covered each others backs as best as they could against their arachnid assailants. While the opposing numbers were not as completely against their favour, as Kankuro essentially operated as three individuals instead of one with his puppets, the four-on-seven battle was still a trying task. There were some instances where either Kakashi or Kankuro had just barely evaded a hit from an oncoming stinger or a jab from a swiping pincer. It was only from the brief moment of unawareness when Kakashi had tackled Kankuro away just in time to avoid getting stung by one of the leaping baby scorpions. As a consequence, Kakashi himself got stung right in the elbow.

"AHHH!"

"KAKASHI-SAN!"

Kankuro, in a fit of vengeance used the wide and heavy body of his salamander puppet Sanshuo and swatted away the remaining scorpions which were only seconds away from landing an attack of their own on the fallen copy ninja. The puppet master knelt down next to Kakashi while operating Sanshuo single-handedly against the critters.

"Stay with me Kakashi-san. Just hang in there!"

The silver-haired Jounin let out a groan of pain. A final bright flash of lightning made Temari open her eyes in determination.

"NOW!" The blonde raised her hand up high and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"FUUTON: TATSU NO OSHIGOTO!"

In a matter of seconds, a powerful mini tornado reached down from the skies above and weaved its way downwards, passing through the cavern opening before coming in contact with the ground and whisking up all seven of the meddlesome baby scorpions, along with the charred remains of their mother, within its spiralling vertex. In addition to battering up the scorpions against one another within the gale-force winds of the tornado, Temari's signature move of supplying chakra to any of her wind-based techniques added an additional cutting factor for that extra supply of pain to her enemies. As a final precaution to ensure that this battle would have no more survivors on the opposing side, Temari reached into her utility pouch and tossed up three white pouches into the whirling storm. The slashing properties of the winds sliced up each of the three pouches revealing hundreds and hundreds of miniature exploding tags.

"KANKURO! AIM HIGH!"

The brunette followed his sister's line of vision and immediately eyed the whirling mass of paper and debris which continued to suspend their arachnid foes with no rest.

"Got it!"

Kankuro gently lay Kakashi down for a few moments before reaching into his own utility pouch and pulling out a kunai dagger with an exploding tag attached to the end of the handle.

"SEE YOU IN HELL!"

With precision and timing, Kankuro threw his kunai dagger within the heart of the raging storm. While not really aiming for anything in particular, as the resulting explosion was of a more higher priority than a successful hit, the dagger managed imbed itself a piece of flying debris which was also caught in the updraft. The following explosion resulted in a chain reaction with the countless mini tags, ultimately causing the entire tornado to light up in flames, incinerating every last object trapped within it, including the intended scorpions.

Before long, the winds and the flames died down, leaving nothing more than the blackened remains of its victims to lightly rain down on the battle field below. The mission was now complete. Temari and Kankuro both fell to their knees, physically and emotionally exhausted from the over exertion of their human efforts as well as from the horrific sight that they had been forced to battle for the last little while. After spending a few moments resting, Kankuro made his way back over to the fallen Kakashi. To his shock, the Konoha Jounin's breathing patterns had stopped.

"Kakashi-san!"

——†——

Minako had no words. She was too shocked at the details of the story that had just been told to her.

"Fearing that your Jounin instructor was on the verge of death, I immediately called for backup while my sister attempted to revive Kakashi-san with her own medical knowledge. And that is how we got here."

"We won't really know exactly how effective our medics will be at restoring Kakashi-san back to normal given the fact that he had been assaulted by an unknown arachnid species. We left this minor detail out to Dr. Kimura upon our arrival at the clinic. Kakashi-san's well being was of a higher priority than expanding on the details of our mission with regards to his condition. As long as the medics and toxicologists were aware that he had been inflicted with a poison, we were certain that they could handle the rest from there."

"It was a bit of a gamble and a little unprofessional on our part to not divulge into any further details but given the sheer distance between our village and Niwa Ridge, Kakashi-san's life was already left hanging by a thread due to the extended travelling time required for us to return home."

A few moments of silence passed between the three teens until Temari ended with one final comment.

"You have a brave leader Minako-san. I believe that he can make it out just fine."

The two blonde's looked at each other with initial hesitance but the younger one shyly smiled back.

"T-thank you Temari-san. A-and you're right…I'm sure that Kakashi-sensei will be able to pull through. Thank you, both of you, for watching over him."

Kankuro followed up with a final note of his own.

"We've done all that we could for your leader on our behalf. The rest is up to our medics."

"Yeah…" Minako glanced out the open door and mentally envisioned the fighting form of her sensei. "Yeah…"

——†——

Nighttime. With only a few minutes of her shift left, Minako requested that she spend her last working moments in the company of her bedridden Jounin instructor, to which her supervisor Dr. Kimura, gladly obliged to. As the blonde looked down at Kakashi's still pained expression, the words of the medics who operated on him continued to echo through her mind.

_We were successful at extracting a large majority, if not all, of the toxin that had been circulating throughout his system however…upon further investigation it seems as though it had inflicted more damage than we initially thought. Until we can identify the true chemical nature of the infliction, we won't be able to determine exactly what his condition will be like the in the morning. We've administered all that we could to prevent his body from deteriorating any further…but regardless of what we used, his condition just seems to worsen with every attempt. I'm sorry Minako-san, but things aren't looking well for Hatake-san. We will do what we can to keep him stable until sunrise._

Mild paralysis, muscle deterioration, reduced heart rate…the list went on. Minako had begun to fear the worse for her sensei. She continued to stare at Kakashi with a grim expression until a sudden voice caught her attention.

"Mina…! Mina…!"

"K-koki! W-what are you doing here?!"

"You'll have to forgive my intrusion but for a while now I've been sensing a faint demonic energy within the village for some time…and I'm not referring to either you or the Kazekage."

Minako's eyes widened in surprise.

"W-what do you think it is?"

"I-I'm not too sure. However…it seems to me originating from him. There's no doubt about it."

Minako looked back in disbelief and slight shock.

"From Kakashi-sensei? What are you talking about? That doesn't even make sense!"

"It's true Mina, you have to believe me! Emitting from the body of that man is the unmistakable aura and scent of a demonic curse!"

"You're lying!" Minako made her way over to Kakashi and placed a hand on his forehead. "There's no possible way that he's-"

The blonde's statement was left unfinished for a sudden flash of purple light disrupted the atmosphere around them.

"W-what's going on?!"

"Stay back Mina!"

Minako did as she was told and took her place next to Koki, whose upper body was lowered to the ground, prepared for an oncoming attack.

"Something's coming Mina. What it is exactly I'm not too sure but regardless, we're about to find that out very soon."

Minako braced herself for some horrifying creature to jump out from Kakashi's flesh and tear them apart to shreds however something a little less graphic but nonetheless intimidating happened instead. Slowly rising from Kakashi's body was a large shard of glass colored in a sinful shade of black. Minako stared at the glowing object in both awe and confusion as it majestically hovered a few inches above Kakashi's torso, despite the unholy black light that it was giving off.

"C-could it be…?"

Koki's question was left unanswered as Minako began to walk towards the mystical object in an almost trance-like state.

"MINA! WAIT!"

It wasn't long before Minako's hands gently gripped onto the floating piece of black glass. What surprised Koki the most was that rather than have something terrible happen to his new master, as he initially predicted, instead the piece of glass had begun to gradually lighten from its original black hue until it was bestowed with an entrancing and almost heavenly luminescent glow. The fox pup was at a loss for words.

"S-she…she purified it…!" **(10) **The demonic energies that the pup had initially felt resonating from the enchanted object had completely vanished.

Koki hopped up onto Kakashi's bed to get a closer look at Minako and the shard of glass but suddenly, another strange occurrence had happened before he had a chance to react. The glowing shard of glass that was now released from Minako's grip had begun to slowly float towards the blonde's chest until it somehow managed to mystically phase into her body with a hypnotic rippling effect. Once the shard was assumed to have been completely been absorbed, Minako's eyes clouded over in fatigue as she collapsed to the ground below her. **(11)**

"MINA! MINA!"

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Just under 7500 words, excluding the author's notes, for this chapter. Yay a fight scene! Finally! It's been like what, since chapter 4 that my story had an actual character battle in it? And a violent and pretty graphic one at that. I ain't gonna lie, even I cringed in disgust as I was writing this chapter. I made it extra disturbing in select places just so that I can keep it interesting.

In all honesty, I kind of like this chapter for some reason. Probably because it was a lot more exciting to write due to the battle sequence. Alright, so here's the deal. You all know that I have now returned to this story and it has been updated on a fairly regular basis now that I have been given the time necessary to write it.

That said I will reiterate my previous offer made in my author's note at the very beginning of this chapter: **I will post Chapter 15, IF AND ONLY IF I receive at least 10 reviews. **Hey, it may seem like I'm being pushy and greedy in an attempt to just get reviews, and maybe I am, but hits, story alerts and story favourites are not encouraging to me in the slightest.

Now I can probably guess what you're all thinking "But you should just be writing for yourself!" Perhaps. But dedicating a large portion of my free time to uphold my commitments to this story without any appreciation via reviews for it, is kind of like kicking a dead horse. Why bother continuing on with it if no one wants to read it? And believe me, I have thought about deleting this story a few times before ever since Chapter 9. I have two other stories that require my attention and I really wouldn't object to dropping my workload down from 3 stories to 2 if I had to make a choice.

So now…I'm taking a stand. **No new chapter until I get at least 10 reviews.**

**(1)** _Taberu no Kokochi (Sensation Eater) – _A medic nin technique, completely made up by me. Not bad huh? Here's a brief little description about it. Contrary to popular belief, this technique does not siphon out chakra from the patient's head in order to weaken brain activity to induce anaesthesia, but rather supplies a patient's brain and spinal cord with additional chakra so that the central nervous system remains relatively inactive, thereby reducing pain…if that makes sense.

**(2)**Niwa Ridge – A completely made up geographical formation simple used for fictional purposes within this story. I used the name 'Niwa' simply because I was watching a few episodes of _Gakuen Heaven_ while I was writing this and well…just find a picture of the character, Testuya Niwa, from the series and you can probably take a good guess as to why I used his name.

**(3)** See the very end of _Chapter 10: Her Destiny, Her Triumph._

**(4)** Fuuton: Haiheki Koujin (Wind Element: Ash Splitting Airborne Dust) – Sends forth a powerful gust of ashy wind to diminish enemy visibility. My own made up ninja technique.

**(5)** Most scorpions are nocturnal for those who didn't know.

**(6)** Fuuton: Shunjindan no Jutsu (Wind Element: Quick Blinking Bullet Technique) – Sends forth a highly compressed jet of whirling air towards the designated target. If performed appropriately, this wind jet can be strong enough to piece through boulders. My own made up ninja technique.

**(7)** Ninpou: Youzansen (Ninja Art: Murderous Fan) – Technique name borrowed from Ishiwatari Daisuke and Arc System Works' original character, Baiken, from the _Guilty Gear_ video game series for the Sony Playstation.

**(8)** Raitei Kouryouran (Thunder Emperor, Light in Bloom) – My own technique.

**(9)** Hishougu: Tonbogiri (Flying Weapon: Dragonfly Cutter) – My own technique for Kankuro.

**(10)** Very Kagome v. Shikon no Tama don't you think?

**(11)** I know that it may seem like I'm copying ideas from the CLAMP work, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, with this little passage but in actuality, it was intended. Hope none of you mind.


	15. The Emblem of Sacred Province

Enchantress

Chapter 15 – The Emblem of Sacred Province

**Disclaimer: **_Naruto_ is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**A/N:** 10 reviews equals new chapter, as promised. This quota shall be carried over for chapter 16 as well.

——†——

Once the brightness had faded away, Minako opened up her eyes and found herself staring at the front of a very old fashioned but beautifully crafted stone-and-wooden house. The most fascinating thing about her surroundings was that rather than being situated on solid ground, she was instead standing upon a low wooden bridge which seemed to connect the platform that the entire house was supported on to what seemed to be other structures of a similar design. In fact, Minako noticed that after taking a longer look at her surroundings she found that she was situated within an entire village that was completely supported on an entire network of low bridges situated just above a large expanse of crystal clear water (estimating to be only about knee-height in depth) complete with countless lotus flowers floating on the waters' surface, schools of fish swimming beneath the surface and the majestic statures of numerous willow trees scattered about the entire area for as far as her eyes could see **(1)**.

Despite being night-time, Minako was able to observe the entire village with surprising clarity, which was primarily due to the bright shine of the full moon that illuminated the darkened land. Dark as it may be, the blonde was once again filled with an overwhelming sense of tranquility and calmness much like her previous experience during her time in that old village from before. But just then, she had a thought.

"Wait a minute…"

And sure enough, Minako found herself reverted back into her male form, fully clothed in the same pure white garments as before.

"Another one…" Naruto scanned his surroundings one last time before resting his gaze on the fairly large house that he stood in front of ever since his arrival. "Hmm…I wonder what awaits me this time."

Naruto figured that if this was a second one of those episodic dreams or visions (or whatever they were) much like with what happened with Koki/Masato less a day ago, then logically, he should be able to perform the same feats as he did last time such as walking through solid objects for example. Naruto took a few steps into the home in front of him and sure enough, he passed right through it as if nothing were there.

"Surprise, surprise…"

Upon his entrance, Naruto found himself standing in what appeared to be an all wooden room, lit only by the glowing embers of torches, candle light, and a large circular opening in the ceiling which let in a perfectly cylindrical beam of moonlight. No other decorations were observed to be present. Situated on a small island in the direct center of both the room as well as within the beam of moonlight was a beautiful altar which consisted of an elegantly carved stone pillar and a shallow but wide bowl which sat at the very top of the structure. The bowl, which looked more like a giant and appropriately sculpted oyster shell, was nearly filled to the brim with water **(2)**.

Around the base of the altar was a perfectly circular donut-shaped hole which peered down into the shallow waters below the very building that Naruto was situated in. Interestingly enough, the hole perfectly outlined the outer most rim of where the moonlight ended from its trajectory within the room. A sole figure, a woman to be specific, stood directly on front of the altar and peered down into the water's reflective surface. Naruto recognized the woman as one of the maidens who inhabited that ancient-looking village from the previous vision that he had watched from before. She wore an elegant and formfitting white robe along with a beautiful headdress which adorned her already regal features. A sudden knock on the door from the opposite side of the room immediately grabbed both Naruto's and the woman's attention.

"Enter…" said the woman.

"Chizuru-sama, I have brought Michiko-hime to you as requested."

Naruto's gazed upon the sight of a young blonde girl, who looked no older than six, dressed a robe of a vivid scarlet hue, stepping into the room and accompanied by another older miko. A few close thoughts had clicked in realization.

_So that girl _was_ Michiko!_ _There's no doubt about it!_ Naruto glanced over at the almost queen-like woman to his right. Judging by the notable differences in status and general presence between the two females, Naruto assumed that the woman was probably the young girl's superior, leader, or perhaps even an elder – but this was all just simple speculation at this point. Nevertheless, he quietly sat down on the wooden floor beneath him and began to watch the scene before him unfold.

"Thank you Emi…you may leave us."

The other miko obediently bowed and left the room in silence, quietly shutting the door behind her in progress.

"You needed to see me, mother?"

Naruto's eyes widened. _They're related?!_ Upon immediate observation, Naruto could not for the life of him see the resemblance that was shared between the so called "mother-daughter" pair in front of him. The woman, with whom he remembered was named Chizuru, had much more defined features which included fair skin, high cheek bones, sharp dark brown eyes, and hair of the deepest black **(3)**. Michiko on the other hand, despite being barely a toddler, had a lightly tanned complexion, bright blue eyes and her signature golden blond locks. _But then again…they could just be related by name only._ Naruto kept this thought in mind as he continued watch on in interest.

"I do." There was a slight pause. "Michiko…the time has come for you to learn of your role within our noble society. For generations, the Yata clan has observed countless successions of shrine maidens dedicated to contributing their efforts towards the greater good of the community as well as upholding our heritage with pride and honour. The three primary occupations that a Yata-clan maiden can be bestowed with include: the priestess, the healer, and the seer. Each occupation has been pre-ordained to them by birth and is only revealed to them through the waters of the Lunar Well that you see before me."

Michiko simply nodded in silent obedience.

"Normally, this occupational ritual is performed on the night of the first full moon shortly after a maiden's tenth living year. However, due to the dreams that I have been receiving for sometime, all of which have only vaguely illustrated the impending future that awaits you, I believe that it would be in our best interests if we determined your responsibility as a maiden sooner rather than later."

"Yes mother."

Naruto was continuously surprised by how obedient the young Michiko was. The girl was tiny; she barely looked a day over five or six years old. But of course, Naruto had never known what it was like to be a clan member of any sort so he wasn't entirely familiar with the concept of noble upbringings. _Hmm…perhaps this was the kind of communal structure that Sasuke had to deal with when he was younger?_ But then again, being in the presence of a highly revered individual like Chizuru – Naruto had a brief thought of the old bat while he was on the topic of intimidating women – would make anyone second guess what their next actions should be when in direct conversation with such a person.

"Now…I trust that you have a perfectly unmarred white lotus bud in your possession?"

"I do."

Naruto watched as Michiko pulled out a small black wooden box from within the folds of her robe and made her way over to where Chizuru stood. The young girl opened the box before her mother with the latter giving a curt nod in return.

"Well done."

Michiko carefully pulled out the lotus bud – which also had a small lily pad at its base – out of the box and walked over to the altar in the middle of the room (Naruto vaguely remembered that the structure was formally named the "Lunar Well) and gently placed the flower down on top of the water's surface. Shortly following, Chizuru made her way over to the other side of the altar so that she directly faced her daughter detached the paper fan that was strapped to the cloth belt around her waist and held it out in front of her so that the wide ends were facing left and right. From there, the elder woman closed her eyes and began to chant with her beautiful and sultry voice.

_Izanami, holy mother of all creation, beseech the call of your human children and impart onto us your divine wisdom._

_From the earthbound world of mortals, doomed to walk among the forsaken unless redeemed, I offer to you a new soul to become honoured into your highest abode of heavenly followers._

_Governed by our matron goddess of spring and earthly life, Konohana-Sakuya, knight your hallowed sword down upon this offering and forever grant this maiden of ours the gift of sacred province._

In one final move, Chizuru rotated her fan so that the wide ends were now facing up and down causing the object to shine in a brilliant electric blue. She then lowered the fan down so that it hovered just above the top-most petals of the lotus bud.

"Place your hand over my relic Michiko."

The young blonde did as she was told. From there a narrow pillar of white light shone down from the moon through the circular opening in the roof until it reached the back of Michiko's hand. Upon closer inspection, Naruto noticed that the beam of moonlight had actually shone straight through the girl's hand and even through Chizuru's ceremonial fan, ultimately residing within the shell bowl which held both the lotus flower and the water that it sat upon. Once the moonbeam had faded away, Michiko and her mother brought their hands down to their sides as the ghostly image of a large circular crest appeared above the bowl before vanishing completely after a few seconds. Shortly following, the bowl miraculously emitted and retained a heavenly rainbow-colored glow. Naruto found it impossible to look away.

"Upon dawn's arrival, the Lunar Well shall reveal the maiden duty that has been rightfully bestowed on to you since the moment of your birth. I shall send someone to retrieve you once the results have been confirmed."

"Yes mother."

And just like that, Michiko took her leave. Given all that he had seen for the last little while, Naruto had somewhat expected this little episode to end if there wasn't anything else for him to see. However a quick bright flash of white revealed the exact same room before him but the signature orange light of the sun that shone through the roof opening obviously indicated the next morning. Chizuru was found standing in front of the Lunar Well with a stern expression while two other maidens obediently stood some distance away behind the head priestess.

"Have the heavens revealed Michiko-hime's call of duty, Chizuru-sama?"

"What answers does the well present you with, Chizuru-sama?"

A few moments of silence passed between the three women.

"In all my years dedicated to the life of the Yata clan's Head Priestess…maidens…for once, I am at a loss."

The other maidens shared looks of curiosity and slight shock.

"W-what are you trying to say Chizuru-sama?"

"Come forth…and observe for yourselves."

The two maidens did as they were requested to which Naruto additionally followed out of curiosity and convenience. All four individuals directed their gazes upon the water filled bowl which now held a fully blossomed lotus flower.

_Wait…wasn't it only a bud the night before?_ Thought Naruto.

The previously white lotus had now been colored a charming bright golden yellow – the flower looked like it was producing its own luminescent shine – where as the water had strangely darkened to an intimidating black hue. Upon closer inspection, Naruto noticed that the outer-most sides of the flower had black-colored waves streaked across the length of each petal. Naruto couldn't help but stare in confusion.

"W-what does this mean, your grace?"

"A-an omen…perhaps?"

"This ritual was not meant to foretell the future; only to determine the role that my daughter was meant to uphold and carry with dignity in our clan." Chizuru simply stared down at the flower with the same grim expression.

"B-but…how is this possible? O-only the flower was supposed to undergo a moderate change in its coloration. How is it that the water had transformed too?" said one of the mikos.

"A-and furthermore…how is it that the flower did not change into any of the three expected colors?" **(4)**

A few moments of silence stretched on before one of the maidens spoke up again.

"P-pardon my interruption Chizuru-sama but did you manage to observe the symbol that should have appeared on the back of Michiko-hime's hand as well?"

"T-that's right! I mean if the Lunar Well had presented us with such unexpected results, surely the sacred mark of a Yata-clan maiden would tell us otherwise, right?"

Chizuru let out a heavy sigh.

"I have my loyal maidens; I had done so only moments ago while she was still asleep. And much like the well, the glyph on the back of Michiko's hand was something that I have never before encountered in all my years of loyal servitude."

There was a pregnant pause.

"My daughter…was not meant to be an ordinary Yata maiden, my children. My belief is that from what the well has shown us on this fateful morning…Michiko was meant for something far greater than our clan has ever seen before."

"S-something greater, my lady?"

"Yes…" Chizuru finally averted her eyes away from the well but looked back to her two subordinates with sadness gracing her lovely features. "But at a price which I don't think any of us, not even myself, could possibly even hope to pay…"

"Chizuru-sama…"

Naruto saw something move from the corners of his eyes. While it was barely visible even from his position, Naruto had immediately recognized those familiar strands of long blond hair peaking from the small opening in the door on the opposite wall.

_She heard…_

And before he had the chance to acknowledge it, Naruto's vision was overcome with another flash of white light but this time, the intensity of the shine was both unbearable and prolonged.

——†——

"Ungh…"

Minako raised a hand to her forehead in an attempt to alleviate the slight dizziness that followed.

"Oh good. You're awake."

Minako spent a few moments rubbing out the blurriness from her eyes until she was finally able to focus on the figure that had addressed her.

"T-temari?"

The other blonde nodded. "You nearly gave me a shock there." Minako brought her upper body up to a seating position and finally noticed that she was actually on a hospital bed, specifically on the one to the right of Kakashi's.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Y-yeah…yeah. Now I am."

Temari smiled. "That's good. I hope you don't mind but I've got a few questions that I would like to ask of you."

Minako's eyes were on the verge of widening but a little bit of incredibly quick thinking had allowed her to look back at the other blonde with a raised eyebrow instead. Temari noticed the odd look that the medic was giving to her but she decided against questioning it.

"Q-questions…?" Minako asked with a slight hitch in her voice. _What did she see? How much did she see?_

"Yes. First of all…where did you manage to find this cute little guy?"

"H-huh?"

Minako took a closer look at Temari and noticed that she was gently scratching the area behind Koki's ears, the latter of which was found to be seated adorably on Minako's bed just next to her right knee. The fox pup seemed to be lapping up the attention quite gratuitously as he had his head tilted towards Temari's direction while one of his hind paws began to tap against the bed in approval **(5)**.

"O-oh, him? He's my uh…pet."

Temari looked back at Minako while she continued to lightly scratch the fox pup all around his head.

"Really? How come I've never seen him before? The only animals that our village has readily available as pets are falcons and lizards. We aren't particularly known for selling or providing mammals to our patrons or even our own villagers for that matter so there's no possible way that you could have recently purchased him from one of our retailers."

"W-well…" _Think fast, think fast!_ "The truth is…he's actually a stray."

"Is that so?" asked Temari in curiosity.

"Y-yeah. I mean." Minako cleared her throat. "I found the poor guy injured on a dirt path during target practice in one of Konoha's training grounds. I heard a faint whimpering noise near one of the dummies and lo-and-behold I found the little guy a few meters away collapsed on his side and gasping for air." Minako couldn't help but smile at Koki who continued to enjoy the attention that Temari continued to give him. "I couldn't just leave him there considering how small he was at the time so I nursed him back to help and kinda kept him as my own ever since." Minako then had a brief thought of the young pup's life up until now. "He's probably been through a lot…so I think it's about time that he deserved some good company from now on."

Koki looked back at Minako in surprise. _Mina…_

"Ain't that right, ya little puffball? You're stayin' with me whether you like it or not."

Temari noticed the very attentive response that the pup was giving to his supposed master and ceased her petting. Shortly following, the animal padded his way over to the other blonde and sat down on her lap, to which Minako responded by embracing him in a light hug. Minako, while quite impressed at how believable her lie was and how convincing Koki was able to act like an ordinary animal, held her animal companion with gentleness and compassion. Unknown to the two girls, Koki was filled with the overwhelming urge to cry. _Mina…_Temari smiled earnestly at the sight before her.

"Pardon my interruption Minako-san but I do have one other question that I would like to ask of you."

Minako released her hold on Koki and gently moved him so that he sat beside her.

"A-alright…" Minako cleared her throat. "S-so…what's up?"

Temari took a quick breather before looking back at the other blonde.

"I came in not too long ago to drop off a small present for Kakashi-san."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "A present?"

Temari nudged her head towards the night stand located in between Minako's and Kakashi's hospital beds. Minako felt somewhat incompetent for completely overlooking the beautiful flower arrangement – which was composed of desert lupines, ghost flowers, and cave primroses **(6)** – until now.

"O-oh…!"

"It was meant to be a sort of 'thank you' and 'get well soon' combination gift for your leader after all he had been through with my brother and I during our last mission. However, upon my arrival, I noticed that you were in the room, along with your animal companion, tending to Kakashi-san…or at least that's what it looked like from my position." **(7)**

Minako had a feeling that something like this would come up, she just hoped that her suspicions were wrong.

"I couldn't exactly observe what you were doing since your back was facing the door but regardless, all I saw was a strange pale shine resonating from your frontside, and assuming towards Kakashi-san, for sometime. And then all of a sudden, you just collapsed to the ground shortly after."

Minako gulped as she hastily attempted to devise yet another lie to explain her weird occurrences.

"And you'll have to forgive me if this sounds a little unusual but I think I also heard your animal companion shout your name in worry."

Koki made a little yipping noise.

"Now talking animals aren't exactly a rarity as I know many other shinobi who are also in possession of such partners so I won't ask any further on it however, that doesn't explain how you managed to somehow restore Kakashi-san back to normal when the medical reports from his assigned physicians had diagnosed him as a terminal patient?"

"K-kakashi-sensei was terminal…?" Just then, something clicked. "W-wait…back to normal?!"

Temari gave a curious nod. "I immediately sent for Dr. Takahashi to assess your condition after your sudden collapse. Thankfully he was already on his way over here for his usual check-up with Kakashi-san so it wasn't too long of a wait. Takahashi-sensei found that there was nothing immediately wrong with you; you appeared to be asleep rather than knocked unconscious. After carefully moving your body onto this bed as no further inspection was required, Takahashi-sensei then proceeded to conduct another check-up examination on your Jounin leader to track and record his progress. To his astonishment, he found that Kakashi-san's breathing patterns and rapid heartbeat had been lowered down to much safer rates and that he no longer perspired while he slept, but that was just on the surface."

"O-on the surface?"

"Yes. Takahashi-sensei ran a few tests on Kakashi-san to pinpoint just what exactly could have caused his body to miraculously recover on its own when given the long list accumulated health risks held against his well-being. After finding no scientific proof of this phenomenon, Takahashi-san came up with the ludicrous conclusion that all of Kakashi-san's medical anomalies had simply left his body without a trace, claiming as if he had been cleansed or purified or some other nonsense like that."

Unknown to the two girls, Koki tried his hardest to fight down his excitement. _I…I think it's all starting to make sense now!_

"So he's safe…w-wait, a few tests? How long was I out?!"

Temari looked over at a nearby clock. "Nearing half-an-hour."

"R-really?" Temari ignored the Minako's puzzled expression and continued to push on.

"So tell me Minako-san…what exactly did you do to revitalize Kakashi-san? Like all of us, he is a human, and as such his body can only recover injuries or ailments to a certain degree, naturally."

"W-what did I do?"

"Yes." Temari's impatience began to kick in. "One of our village's teams of highly trained medics were only able to alleviate his symptoms, not completely obliterate them. Tell me, how is it that a junior-level medic, even one whose mission members of identical ages had years of prior experience, was able to accomplish a feat that even licensed medical professionals were unable to achieve?"

"U-um…" Minako knew that she was backed up into corner. There was very little that she could do to lie her way out of this interrogation, if any.

_Don't worry, Mina…you can leave this to me…_

Minako's eyes widened at the sudden sound of Koki's voice speaking to her from within her head. She glanced over at the fox pup who sat with his body facing the fan-wielder and his eyes completely shut.

_Shield your eyes. Now!_ Minako did as she was told without hesitation.

While left unseen by his master, Koki shot his eyes open as two identical flashes of light emerged from his irises. Temari recoiled back in shock as the blue jewel on the pup's forehead reappeared momentarily and blinked in a single strobe.

_Alright, you are free to look now…_Minako removed her arm from across her face and noticed that Temari was staring at nothing particular with a vacant expression. **(8)**

_T-that was fast…_

_Quickly, continue the conversation that you had about me before she brought up your Jounin leader's condition._

_R-right!_

Minako cleared her throat before clumsily easing back into idle chit-chat. "A-and uh…t-that's how the two of us met! He's been with me ever since!"

Temari looked back to the other blonde. "O-oh! R-right, of course. Um, sorry but what were we talking about again?"

_Well…at least she almost bought it._ "This little guy, remember?" Minako gently rested her hand down on Koki's head to which he replied back with a happy yip. "Are you…feeling alright Temari…san?" Minako almost missed her chance to correct her speech.

The other blonde raised a hand to her forehead. "Y-yes. Yes I'm fine, thank you." Temari scanned her surroundings. "Um, well I guess I should take my leave for the night."

"Have a pleasant evening, Temari-san."

"You too Minako-san. And try not to worry yourself too much. I have faith that Kakashi-san will be able to make it out of his clinic just fine."

Koki sensed his master's confusion. _She doesn't recall that he's back to normal now, remember?_

_Oh, right!_

"I-I'll try. And thanks…"

——†——

After one final nod between the two girls, Temari departed the clinical ward in silence. Once the other two were certain that they were left alone, with the exception of a certain sleeping Jounin, Minako let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Whew…that was close."

Koki didn't bother to verbally agree with his master's statement but he did so silently nonetheless. The pup turned around until he was directly facing the blonde medic and got right down to business.

"Did it happen again?"

Strangely enough, Minako immediately knew what her little fox friend was talking about without even thinking about it.

"Y-yeah."

"What did you see?"

Minako spent a few moments to herself trying to remember the events that her last vision held for her.

"It involved…Michiko, her mother, and something about determining what her role was, or something like that. Her mother performed some weird ritual of some sort which would apparently determine what her job as a shrine maiden would be…I think."

Koki spent a few moments taking in all that her master has said.

"Is there anything else that you can recall?"

"Hmm…well it was night time; I uh, started off in a weird village that was entirely supported by a network of low bridges and stilts built above shallow water, and something to do with Michiko's job results being an omen or something. I think that's basically it."

A few moments of silence passed between the pair as Koki began to mentally piece together the events that unfolded ever since he met up with Minako.

"Um…w-what do you think of all this Koki?"

"Hmm…well judging by what you have told me thus far, I'm thinking that the vision that you just saw…was actually a memory."

Minako raised an eyebrow. "Uh…a memory?"

"I believe so. I tried to recall the last one that you told me about, you know, the one where you mentioned a 'union assembly'?"

Minako gave a slow nod. "Y-yes…"

"I have a few assumptions that I would like to have confirmed. Minako if you will, we will be venturing inside your mind once again."

"Um, sure."

Even though Minako was informed ahead of time for another one of Koki's 'mind trips' it still did nothing to ease her anxiety in the event that she would have to undergo a second emotional revelation. Minako closed her eyes and prepared herself. A quick flash was all it took.

——†——

It wasn't long before Naruto and Koki found themselves standing within the strange circular room of Naruto's subconscious once again. The pair glanced towards the three famed mirrors that were mounted on the nearest wall but intently focused their gaze upon the central circular mirror, which was presumed to belong to Michiko. Naruto looked towards the mirror in confusion while Koki looked on in understanding.

"I was right…"

"W-what do you mean?"

"My prediction was that the two memories that you have experienced ever since our first encounter only days ago, are ones that belonged to Michiko while she was alive during her time period."

Naruto did a double-take. "Wait, what?!"

"Now this is all just speculation since it is still too early to determine whether or not I am actually right in the matter. But regardless, I have a good feeling that my thoughts are headed in the right direction."

"Um…care to explain?"

"Naruto. In spite of the different memories that you have witnessed up until now, both times have more-or-less affected you in near identical manners. You may not know this but when you received Michiko's first memory, a black shard of glass – not unlike the one that had appeared from Kakashi's body – was found hovering about your unconscious form before phasing back into your body."

"Wait…you saw that?!"

"I did. In addition, you were immediately placed under immediate sedation after acquiring the memory; both times had lasted for about thirty minutes. But the most prominent piece of evidence above them all involves that central mirror behind you."

Naruto turned his head to look at the mystical object.

"When we first entered your mind, that frame was in possession of only piece of Michiko's sacred mirror. But as you can clearly see, the frame now holds two of them."

Naruto continued to stare at the object.

"Assuming that the remaining pieces of the mirror, wherever they may be, are of a similar size and shape as these two, it would appear as though we would still need to obtain…," Koki envisioned what the mirror would look like when it was whole and silently counted his way around the frame, "about seven additional pieces in order for it to reach completion."

"For a total of nine…" Naruto added in a soft voice.

After assuming that Naruto was not going to comment on his analysis, Koki simply continued on with a few final points.

"Much like Kakashi, I watched on as the mirror fragment removed itself from my human form before making its way down to you. It was from there where I was able to revert back into my original appearance at will."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold up! You mean to tell me that that first fragment or whatever came from you?!"

Koki nodded. "Now that I think about it even further, I have begun to believe that the piece that had inhibited my body was responsible for the seal on my transformation capabilities, my extended lifespan and my specified time of expiration."

Naruto was left too speechless to add anything else.

"One discovery can evoke hundreds of unanswered questions." Naruto watched as the fox pup padded his way over to where the blond stood and sat down next to his feet. "Why is it that both of these pieces had inhabited other life forms before their true existences were revealed? Why is it that they initially appear black as opposed to right now? And what will happen once it's all finished?"

The two shared a short silence before Koki continued on.

"As strange as it sounds, I believe that we're on the right track to finding our answers Naruto…I can feel it."

——†——

Upon their arrival back to reality, the blond looked over at her loyal companion with a renewed expression. While she found it somewhat difficult to understand through her own eyes, Minako had this indescribable feeling that Koki was right about the pup's resolve. Even though all of the subject matter regarding the concepts of reincarnation, magic, and memories continued fly by her head faster than she could comprehend, pretty much any lead, no matter how illogical it sounded, with regards to her apparent "destined duty" was considered fair game in her eyes. Minako directed her gaze towards Koki with the intention of getting a few burning questions answered for her, only to leave them unasked due to the very human-like raised eyebrow that the pup had on his small features.

"W-what? Is there something on my face?"

"I beg your pardon Mina but, what's that on your hand?"

"H-huh?" Minako looked down at both of her hands with widened eyes.

Located on the backside of her left hand was a strange circular crest which flickered in an out of existence as if it were a light bulb on its last few minutes of life. She stared at the mystified marking in silence until Koki's sudden shout made her jump slightly in surprise.

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

"W-what?! WHAT?!" Minako used her right hand to clutch her rapidly beating heart.

"T-that emblem! That's the symbol that appeared on the back of Michiko's left hand every time she used her powers!"

Minako was speechless. _The symbol on the back of her hand...like in the memory!_

"Mina, that marking on your hand proves beyond a reasonable doubt that you are indeed the true reincarnation of Michiko. If this doesn't prove the truth to you, then nothing will." **(9)**

"Reincarnation…"

As she gazed upon the faded glowing emblem that was emblazoned on the back of her left hand, Minako simply sat frozen in her spot. The truth had finally crashed down upon her entire being…and it was heavy. She felt burdened and yet now determined more than ever that she would finally be able to see an end to this meddlesome life puzzle and return to her normal life in her original body.

"We now know what we must do, Naruto, at least for the time being." Minako looked back at Koki in surprise at the use of her real name. "I believe that it is our duty to go out into the world and retrieve the remaining seven, or so, pieces of Michiko's mirror and restore it to its original state. Only then will we be able to determine what our next move should be."

Minako gulped down the lump in her throat.

"We can do this Naruto, I know we can. But above all that, _I_ know that _you _can do it too. And I will be right beside you every step of the way. Will you help me…help you?"

With a heavy breath, she chose yes.

TBC

——†——

**A/N:** Meh…a so-so chapter in my opinion. Hope I didn't bore you guys too much with this one when compared to the action-filled livelihood of the previous chapter. Keep those reviews coming and I'll keep in touch!

For all of those readers confused about the chapter title, it is derived from both the chant that was recited by Chizuru near the beginning of the chapter as well the mark on the back of Minako's hand in the conclusion. The word '_province_' in my story is not used in the common definition (i.e. an administrative division within a country or state) but rather from another definition relating to an individual's "sphere or field of authority or activity."

**(1)** It was incredibly hard for me to incorporate the imagery that I had in mind into words with this particular passage. The best way for me to provide a more accurate representation of this village would be to picture the village of Kilika for those who have played _Final Fantasy X_ or better yet, the city of Yafutoma for those that have played _Skies of Arcadia_ – the latter fictional town was the one that I was trying to describe in the story.

**(2)** I slightly derived the appearance of the altar from the stone basin that appears on the back cover of the _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ book, UK edition but of course a lot less demonic looking.

**(3)** I pictured Chizuru – Michiko's Mother – to closely resemble that of Syaoran's mother, Yelan, from the first _CardCaptor_ _Sakura_ movie. A very beautiful woman but her hands are the size of a 10-year-old's head!

**(4)** In my mind, the colors that the maidens were talking about for the results of the occupation ritual for this story are as follows: an orange lotus for a seer, a purple lotus for a priestess and a pink lotus for a healer. What does a golden lotus flower represent? Tune in next time!

Oh and as for the Yata-clan maiden glyphs that I mentioned a little bit after the lotus flower section, I'll just give you all a heads up with what I have in mind in terms of their appearance. For all of you _Final Fantasy X_ or _X-2_ players out there, the three normal Yata glyphs are envisioned to look like the symbols belonging to the three Magus Sisters summon: Sandy's symbol (seer), Cindy's symbol (priestess), and Mindy's symbol (healer).

**(5)** Does any one know a better way to word this? It's basically that super cute foot thing that most dogs do when you find their "scratching spots." My dog does this but it's normally when someone scratches him under the chin or on his belly where he does the foot thing. As for the ears, he only tilts his head in the direction that he's being scratched. I love my dog…well…all dogs for that matter but mostly my dog.

**(6)** Desert Lupines, Ghost Flowers, and Cave Primroses are all wildflowers most commonly found in the American desert.

**(7)** Now given what I have written in both this chapter as well as the previous one, some of you might think that my story has hinted at a possible relationship between Temari and Kakashi. This is strictly not the case. While the context may say otherwise, Kakashi and Temari are strictly conducting each other in a platonic and professional working relationship. Nothing romantic going on here.

**(8)** Kind of like that "memory-zapper" thing in Men in Black. I kind of backed myself into a corner when I wrote this passage so I just needed a quick and convenient way to get out of this potential writer's block before I continued on with the rest of the chapter.

**(9)** Just sort of continuing on with the second half of footnote number 4, the symbol that I had in mind for the emblem on the back of Minako/Michiko's hand is the crest belonging to the Valfor summon from _Final Fantasy X_. I originally wanted keep it as the symbol for the Shiva summon – because Shiva rules anything and everything and you need to bow down before her! – but in the end I thought that I should remain consistent with the whole wind-element reference of both Michiko's and Naruto's origins in my story by sticking with Valfor instead. It just seems so much more meaningful and symbolically correct this way.


	16. Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon

Enchantress

Chapter 16 – Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**A/N**: Nothing like a 2.5 year hiatus to piss off all my loyal readers, right? I have excuses but I'm sure you don't wanna hear 'em. I've used up so much of them already. Let's hope that we can put this behind us and move on. It's not my best work but here's a nice long chapter for all of you to read as a token of my apology. I'll try to be more diligent in my updates (as if I hadn't made that promise before. :P).

—†—

The Sand Village's current reigning head figure, the Fourth Kazekage, despite his incredibly young age, was a well-respected leader and overall individual in his own right. Years of adversity coupled with crowning moments of self-actualization had transformed the once hostile and often feared youngest sand sibling into an honourable young man with an affinity for order – as opposed to chaos. As the red-head sat authoritatively in his office, with his two older siblings at his side, Minako couldn't help but feel that same bout of anxiety that she had in this very office roughly one week ago. The apprehension, the fear, but primarily the embarrassment that came from the belief that Gaara was aware of her true identity was nearly sending her over the edge. She wouldn't be able to live anything down if word got out that the infamous Naruto had been permanently – at least to her current knowledge – transfigured into a girl. Even though Gaara was never known to be one for petty gossip, eavesdropping has become quite the popular hobby amongst the general public these days, regardless of one's moral standards.

"Something wrong Minako-chan?"

Minako looked into the concerned and confused eyes of her comrade, Ino, and quickly shook her head in denial.

"It's nothing." And then, her quick thinking kicked in. "Well, nothing important really. Just uh, worried about my evaluation. Nothing big. I mean, this assignment would be my first non-theory-based job as a medic so yeah…nerves, haha." Part of this was true. While Minako was not new to the subject of being evaluated as a ninja (at least when on a standard mission), being evaluated as medic, one of "the great Tsunade's" team of personally trained medics to be precise, was another can of worms in and of itself. That thought alone was enough to make the honey blonde shiver in her spot.

While Minako's complete reasons were left unknown to her, Ino nodded in understanding and presented her comrade with a friendly smile. "I hear you loud and clear. Five years in the medical field and these assignment evaluations STILL make me feel sick to my stomach. I mean, I've had to pop joints back into place, repair major lacerations and even tend to rotting flesh…ironically, none of them have ever made me cringe quite like a performance review."

With those mental images in mind, Minako continued to fidget all the more in nervousness from her position between Ino and Kakashi as Gaara began to address her team.

"As you all know, the mission that has been assigned to the three of you on behalf of our village has now reached its conclusion. The estimated time frame for when your combined duties were to have been completed by was accomplished ahead of schedule and your respective mission objectives, which were pre-determined by your supervisors, have been completed to exceptional standards."

The four Konoha representatives nodded their heads in gratitude.

"Detailed in the accompanying files," Temari submitted one manila folder each to Minako and Kakashi while Kankuro administered Ino and Sakura's folders, "are the completed evaluations of your assignment objectives as provided by your mission designates."

The focus of the meeting then shifted over to Kankuro, who surprisingly continued to showcase his natural face rather than conceal it with a hood and his signature war make-up; an observation which Minako found most refreshing.

"Included in Kakashi-san's folder is the total base compensation that was promised to be awarded to your entire team for successfully achieving all of the written objectives that were outlined in your contract. Additional bonus payments were made to each one of you, which can be found in a light green envelope within each of your files, for accomplishing said objectives prior to the anticipated completion date."

Minako's eyes rose up in amusement. _Nice!_

Temari was the next to speak. "As an additional reward to the four of you for contributing so much to our village in such a short amount of time," her gaze then shifted towards Kakashi, "and for demonstrating exceptional courage and valour towards a Sand Village official in the face of danger," Minako grinned at the exchange in eye contact between Temari and Kakashi, "the three of us would like to cordially invite you all to dinner and lodging with the three of us at the Kazekage manor tonight as a token of our appreciation."

Minako's entire team bowed in gratitude.

"Your generosity is most humbling Temari-san," said Kakashi.

"Please, as it is your final day with us here in the village it would be our honour to provide you all with some much needed rest and relaxation before you all depart for home tomorrow morning."

"You are free to explore the rest of our village at your leisure until the evening. Dinner starts at 7," concluded Kankuro.

The Konoha team exchanged one final round of thanks towards the three sand siblings before making their way to the double doors of the Kazekage's office. However, just before turning around, Minako exchanged one final glance towards Gaara. The red-head continued to present her with that intimidating and analyzing gaze of his; it was the same look that he had given to her during the debriefing session at the start of her team's mission. Minako had a strange feeling that Gaara wanted to have a few words with her – and tonight would be the perfect opportunity for him to confront the blonde face-to-face as there would be no more work-related distractions to stop either of them.

—†—

After having a highly eventful morning of shopping with the girls (Minako strictly adhered to browsing while Sakura and Ino purchased to their hearts' content) and lunch with the whole team at a local eatery, Minako found herself alone with Kakashi while taking a stroll through one of the local parks. Even though Suna's parks were nothing compared to Konoha's (i.e. full of lush vegetation, various woodland creatures, and an abundance of flowing water), they were still inviting enough to anyone who desired a quiet and relaxing afternoon, away from the obligations and responsibilities of work.

"So, Minako-chan, Tsunade-sama tells me that you're one of her most promising new comers to her own personally trained-team of medics."

Minako's eyes rose up in surprise. _That's a lie and she knows it!_ "Well, I wouldn't really say promising but I try to do my best in anything that she throws at me. If anything, class time with her somehow evolves into an all-out shouting match whenever I either do something wrong or answer one of her 'pop questions' incorrectly. Sometimes I wonder how the two of us have lasted this long around each other without resorting to violence."

Kakashi found himself nearly stunned at the young blonde's attitude of familiarity towards the Hokage. "Incredible…"

Minako raised a slender eyebrow at the Jounin's response. "I'm sorry?"

"Well it's just that you talk about Tsunade-sama as if she were a family member or a very close friend. Not that there's anything wrong with that it just seemed…surprising, but in a good way. When coupled with the knowledge that you're a brand new Konoha citizen with no known relatives living within the village, one would find it quite remarkable at how a young lady from the rural outskirts, like yourself, would adapt and find her place within a major ninja capital so quickly."

_He does have a point_. "Well, from my perspective," before she knew it, Minako started to unveil one of her inner-most philosophies, "life's too short to make enemies or to feel intimidated by what is new or unknown. In the long run, while accomplishments and notable achievements are a good thing to have to one's name, to me it's really all about the relationships that you develop and build with others that define who you truly are as a person. No one likes to be lonely; it's human nature to strive for companionship and intimacy." A pregnant pause was shared between the two ninjas, "And so…my goal is to make as many friends as I possibly can and achieve that sense of casual closeness and camaraderie with anyone who will give me a chance – regardless of their age, status, gender or other highly superficial things that really mean nothing when it comes to friendship."

Kakashi directed a smile towards the young blonde next to him. Despite being a new face, the girl's wholesome outlook on life greatly reminded him of another perky blonde with whom he had the honour of calling both a former student and a current friend.

"I mean sure there are certain people with attitudes and personalities that inhibit the initial establishment of a friendship," Minako's thoughts immediately went to Sasuke, "but, everyone pretty much starts off at an even level in my book. I guess I can understand why you would be surprised at how casually I can talk about our Hokage in passing. To everyone, we're nothing more than mentor and disciple but that doesn't necessarily mean that our relationship has to end there. When she inquired about my background, she got to know me a little better and in exchange, I got to know her a little bit better in the process. As my medic-nin lessons with her continued on, casual chatting just became a commonplace for us, both in and outside of the classroom."

Just then Minako had a startling realisation.

"I-I'm sorry," she let out an awkward laugh, "I don't usually go on rants like that in front of others."

_Geez…Talk his ear off some MORE why don't you?_ Minako's momentary bout of embarrassment shifted to moderate offense when she heard the faint sounds of laughter coming from the silver-haired Jounin.

"Is something funny?"

Kakashi simply smiled back in return.

"You know Minako-chan, you remind me a lot of a former student of mine."

The statement piqued her interest. "Is that so?"

"Indeed. You've probably heard his name quite a bit ever since you came to Konoha. In fact, if I may be blunt, I'm assuming that many of the other Konoha residents have pointed out the striking similarities in both personality and attitude that the two of you appear to share in common, correct?"

_Just play along…_"Wow you ARE sharp. Um, Naruto was his name, right?" Hearing her original name said in passing felt weird enough; having her say it out loud and essentially reference herself brought it to an entirely different level.

Kakashi nodded. "The two of us go back a long way. I was his original Jounin instructor after he graduated from the academy. Even now, not a day goes by when I can't think of how far he has come in his young life and how proud I am to be referred to as one of his mentors."

Minako felt touched at Kakashi's musings. _Is this how he really feels about me? Hmm…guess the lecher does have some depth to him after all._ Minako grinned.

"Did you know that him, Sakura and Sasuke, the young man with whom you accompanied to Iwagakure as Naruto's replacement, were all a part of my original genin team?"

Minako played the clueless card once again. "Really?" as she said with semi-forced interest.

"They were my pride and joy. Things were a little bit rusty in the beginning but overtime the three of them began to respect each others talents, cooperate as a functioning team, and eventually evolve into life long friends…especially Sasuke and Naruto."

Minako couldn't help but blush at the thought of her long time friendship with Sasuke.

"Those two…they've gone through so much together. Ups and downs, highs and lows, hills and valleys; the true definition of a rollercoaster relationship if you ask me. In a way it should come as to no surprise that they hated each others guts during their academy and early genin years. Complete polar opposites."

Minako's eyes softened as memories of Sasuke flooded her mind.

"In all my years of service as an elite ninja, never have I seen a pair so backwards yet so compatibly perfect as those two. They may not show it in front of others on a regular basis but you can tell, given the history and the dynamics of their relationship, that Sasuke and Naruto are two friends who would be more than willing to die for one another if the opportunity arose – no questions asked."

Minako's memories were brought back to the very first moment when Sasuke nearly died for her safety: during their hallmark battle against Haku and Zabuza in Kirigakure. The serious tone of the conversation made a complete turn when Kakashi let out a light-hearted chuckle.

"Despite their inspiring friendship and unmatched respect for one another, the two of them, more often then not, bicker like a married couple about very petty things."

Minako's right eye twitched in annoyance. _Oh, come on! Does EVERYONE think about us in that way?_

"Is that…so?" Minako had to bite her tongue in order to fight back a heated remark about the "married couple" comment.

"While most of us find it endearing, there are others who are a little annoyed that their so called 'friction' has lasted this long. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if they were already married given the way that they nitpick about mundane things towards each other. Sure, now it's about how the other conducts himself in public but pretty soon we'll be hearing their lover's tiffs about house locations, wallpaper patterns, and who knows, may be even potential baby names when the time arrives." Kakashi let out a hearty chuckle.

All joking aside, much to her dismay, Minako once again found herself blushing when it came to thoughts about Sasuke. Thanks to Kakashi's nonsensical musings, Minako's current train of thought involved both her and Sasuke doing some of the "couple-y" activities that the copy-ninja had previously listed off only moments ago. The blonde nearly let out a scream of frustration.

_UGH! How irritating! _Minako pushed those thoughts back into the depths of her subconscious.

"To those who never believed in the idea that 'opposites attract' simply needed to take one look at Sasuke and Naruto's relationship dynamic and their views would be changed entirely. While the two of them share common interests in select areas, the notable contrasts in their individual personalities, preferences and even physical appearances make them near-perfect antitheses of each other," Kakashi paused for a few beats, "In the end, Sasuke and Naruto simply complete each other. Each one possesses certain attributes and traits that the other needs to remain emotionally balanced."

Minako was stunned to silence at the sheer profoundness of Kakashi's analysis. Her heart became filled with a sudden sensation of calm and content.

"They sound like a match made in Heaven."

"They are." Kakashi looked back into the younger blonde's eyes. "I can see why many of Konoha's younger generation have taken a liking to you Minako-chan: you're open-minded, approachable, and easy to talk to; to put it simply, you remind us of Naruto."

Minako was unsure of how to respond. "I'm guessing that's a good thing?"

"It is. And while this may be the first time that the two of us have been able to converse with one another so casually since your Konoha residency, I can honestly say that many of the adults who have also taken a liking to Naruto, myself included, feel the same way."

Minako looked back at Kakashi with conflicted happiness. While it was incredibly comforting and heart-warming to know that the extent of her friendships continues to remain strong even in her new body, the blonde couldn't help but believe in the possibility that overtime, Naruto would be forgotten and eventually replaced by Minako, completely. With many of her friends and peers identifying that the two were near identical in a handful of ways, save for the obvious gender difference, what's to stop her from harbouring such a pessimistic position? While the blonde acknowledged that this was an extreme instance, the doubt continued to linger.

"Now that I think about it, Naruto's current extended leave of absence has me worried."

Minako couldn't help but snap her head up in attention. "R-Really? How so?"

The pair's stroll eventually led them to one of Sunagakaure's most spectacular landmarks: a wide and almost lake-resembling oasis located within the Northwest quadrant of Sunagakure. A small handful of bushes, shrubs, a ring of fresh grass, and small white wild flowers lined the entire outer edge of the shoreline. Located right within the exact center of the oasis was a small island which was accessible by a long, railing-less wooden bridge. No matter how many times she had visited the Sand Village, Minako always marvelled at the surreal and almost otherworldly splendour of _Aoitama _**(1)**.

Kakashi let out a muffle sigh. "It's not like him to just suddenly leave the village for more than a week without informing anyone of his departure, or at least without having anyone find out about it beforehand without his knowledge. Now, while this isn't the first time that Naruto has pulled the disappearing act on us, as he occasionally seeks solitary refuge away from Konoha as a means of clearing his mind; but this particular instance seems much too out of the ordinary, even for him."

Minako was humbled at just how much Kakashi had really paid attention to her all this time.

"Even if he doesn't tell anyone directly about his departures, Naruto usually always left a note behind on his apartment door indicating both the time and the reasons for his leaves on top of an approximate return date. And even though Tsunade-sama assures that Naruto had been assigned to an undisclosed, long-term, and highly confidential investigative mission overseas, something as big as this would not run by at least one of Naruto's closest confidants unnoticed. It is virtually impossible for Naruto to keep such news to himself. His excitement over challenging and large-in-scope missions clouds both his common sense and rationality."

Part of Minako wanted to hit Kakashi for essentially undermining her character directly to her face. Another part however was much more concerned with the idea that people were now growing suspicious about "Naruto's sudden absence." Even though the silver-haired ninja was the only individual with whom Minako had ever heard such a concern from, at least upfront, the possibility of others questioning the validity of Naruto's implied whereabouts was bound to happen sooner or later; she just hoped that it was the latter option. Remembering the cover-up plan that she had shared with Tsunade sometime ago, Minako simply continued to play along as usual.

"You must be really concerned about Naruto if you're questioning the word of the Hokage, huh?"

The young blonde's question nearly caught the copy-ninja off guard.

"I mean, if Tsunade-sama assures that he's off on a long-term mission, then that should be all there is to it, right? And because the mission has been classified as confidential, the Hokage technically shouldn't disclose any of the mission's details unless it was absolutely necessary, right?" Minako let out an awkward laugh, "Sorry, I'm just thinking out loud."

Kakashi let out a sigh. "You do have a point Minako-chan. However, there's something about Naruto's absence that just doesn't sit well with me. The fact that this so called _mission_ has been kept so well hidden from so many people within our own village is very disconcerting. By the looks of it, Tsunade-sama appears to be the only individual, if any, who knows exactly where Naruto is and what he is currently doing."

Another pause settled between the two ninjas. Minako spent a few moments gazing into the crystalline waters of the oasis before speaking up.

"Kakashi-sensei, what do you personally think happened to Naruto?" Her curiosity got the best of her.

"I have my suspicions but…I believe that something unfortunate has happened to Naruto. Was he abducted? Did he decide to revoke his allegiance to the village and defect from Konoha? Did he vanish?" after a short pause, Kakashi answered his own questions, "Unlikely, unlikely, and quite possibly. While I can't fully justify why I'm more set on Naruto disappearing without a trace as opposed to the other possible reasons, I get the feeling that something big came up and because of it Naruto's life might be jeopardy as we speak. Nearly six weeks have passed since he "left" and no one has heard a single word from him; well, no one apart from maybe Tsunade-sama."

Minako was stunned to silence. While she knew that Kakashi had a reputation for being extraordinarily sharp, she just couldn't believe at how eerily accurate the older male's intuition actually was now that she had experienced it up close.

"But…that is neither here nor there. Despite my highly pessimistic viewpoint surrounding the entire matter, I also believe that Naruto will be able to find his way back home. He's a strong boy and I know that he is capable of taking care of himself. All I can do for him now is to hope that he is alright, wherever he may be."

Minako spent the next little while mulling over the Jounin's musings as the two of them continued their walk.

—†—

Dinner at the Kazekage Manor was an enjoyable festivity. While those in attendance only consisted of the three Sand Siblings and the four Konoha ninjas, the evening was nonetheless filled with merriment and spent in good company. The food that was served was a three course ordeal which consisted of: a light miso soup as an appetizer, a selection of pan-fried dishes (such as gyoza) as the entrée, and a final serving of chichi dango for dessert with a side of green tea to wash it all down. Being the sweet tooth that she was, Minako was particularly pleased when the manor cooks served the chichi dango; this was evident when the blonde helped herself to seven consecutive servings of the sweet dumplings to which everyone, including her own team-mates, couldn't help but stare in shock.

Throughout most of the meal however, Minako had caught Gaara staring at her on multiple occasions – halting her in place with that same lingering stare that he gave to her earlier this week and once again earlier this morning. While their gazes only met a couple of times during dinner, the fact that it had happened more than twice within the same day made Minako quite fidgety for most of the evening.

After the dining table was cleared up, everyone subsequently agreed to prepare themselves for a good night's rest as the Konoha team scheduled their departure for the Fire Country at sunrise. While Kakashi, Sakura and Ino all retired to their own separate rooms for the evening, Minako found no particular desire to fall asleep just yet. In spite of the mostly cheerful atmosphere at dinner, Gaara's actions aside, much of the conversation that she had with Kakashi during the afternoon continued to replay in her mind over and over again. While it was comforting to know that those who were close to Naruto expressed their worry over his extended absence, Minako had to admit that she was simply not prepared for when either she or Tsunade found themselves backed into a corner. It was only a matter of time before even one person managed to find a loophole in Minako's fabricated life story – and people were already starting to play the guessing game. Scoffing in frustration at her mind's inability to remain quiet, Minako decided to head out for late night walk in order to calm down.

Minako's constitutional eventually led her outside of the manor and back to the north-western quadrant of the village, specifically towards the Aoitama oasis. Upon her arrival at the landmark, the blonde then made her way over the wooden bridge and crossed it until she reached the small central island at the end of the path. The island itself was no larger than a standard living room **(2)**. The only notable feature of the land formation was a rectangular stone tablet which was situated at the opposite end of the island. The blonde noticed that if she stood right next to the tablet, the top of the sculpture would have just touched the bottom of her ribcage.

As Minako sat down a short distance in front of the tablet, upon closer inspection, she noticed that the face of the tablet had archaic characters which were engraved directly onto the surface, perfectly aligned in a single column. Unfortunately, time must have taken its toll on the object as the entire length of the inscription was littered with large cracks, chipped areas, and appeared to have suffered severe weather damage. The only character that Minako was able to clearly decipher from the tablet that wasn't either blurry or missing entirely was "moon" - the very last character. Located just behind the tablet was a small circular plot of bare soil, which seemed quite odd as the rest of the island was covered in grass.

From her kneeling position on the ground, Minako spent a few minutes in silence simply listening to the sound of the oasis' waters being gently pushed by the light breeze. It wasn't long before the sound of soft footsteps pulled her out from her trance.

"Too much on your mind?"

Minako looked over her shoulder and saw Koki making his way over to where she was.

"You could say that..."

Koki eventually sat down on his master's left.

"I can only imagine how emotionally draining all of this must have been on you, Naruto; especially with everything that you have learned within the last couple of days about the Age of Anarchy when I first came into the picture."

The blonde made no acknowledgment in the fact that the fox pup had addressed her by her real name.

"I know it may seem like I'm constantly repeating myself but please know that I mean every single word of it. No matter where the road ahead takes you Naruto, I will remain by your side throughout your quest for the truth. Even though the two of us have quite the mission to undertake, rest assured that you will always have my company along the way. I'm sure that you are more determined than ever to revert back to your original form and finally put all of this stuff surrounding Michiko and her mirror behind you."

Minako couldn't help but stare into Koki's sky blue eyes. This was the second time today where someone had been able to articulate her thoughts back at her without provocation. She let out a little humourless laugh.

"I'm that easy to read, huh?"

"I don't need to be a mind reader to know when you are deep in thought about something. Having the ability to read and interpret body language can be a very useful skill if used properly."

After a short pause, Minako decided to shift the focus of their conversation away from her worries; she felt that had done enough of that for one day.

"Did you know, that out of all of the times that I have visited Sunagakure in the past, not once have I ever made the effort to actually come to this very spot and take a look at it up close?"

Koki, noticing his master's eagerness to talk about something else, went along with the invitation.

"Is that so?"

"Yup. I don't really know how to explain it but...I feel as though something led me here. Almost as if someone or something was beckoning me to come here. While I always thought about coming to the famed Aoitama Island on my own before but just never had the time to actually do it, tonight however seemed to have a different idea in mind."

Koki looked up at Minako in curiosity. "Are you saying that you were perhaps summoned here?"

"Yeah...," Minako looked towards the worn out stone tablet before her and stared at the character which stood for moon, "I also want to say that this particular place, this small patch of land, is somehow important to me...or at least, important to Michiko."

Koki looked up in surprise at Minako. _Have Michiko's emotions started to manifest?_ The pair spent a few moments in silence until a third voice joined in on their conversation.

"It's not very often that people visit this place after sunset, let alone new visitors to the village."

Minako and Koki turned around and saw Gaara calmly making his way over to them from the bridge.

"Gaara, how did you know I was here?"

"Let's just say that you left a trail in your wake."

Minako stared in confusion. "A trail? What, you mean like my footprints?"

"Similar. However your trail in particular was something that only someone like me could detect...or rather, someone like _us_ so to speak."

Minako's body straightened up at the slight accusatory tone in Gaara's voice.

"Why is it that the demon beast inside of me has been notably active since you and your team first arrived to Sunagakure? Shukaku only becomes this restless whenever he is in the presence of another biju. And since a physical biju hasn't been spotted anywhere near my village, one can only assume that Shukaku is instead reacting towards the demonic signature of another jinchuuriki."

Minako was stunned to silence; her blood ran cold. "U-um..."

"My demon's reactions tend to be the strongest when I'm around you as opposed to your team-mates or even anyone else for that matter. Furthermore, he also tells me that this _other demon_ is one that he is in fact very familiar with."

Minako immediately shot up to a standing position. Koki could only stare at the confrontation between the two teens in suspense.

"I do not claim to be an expert in the technicalities surrounding the process of demonic sealing rituals however I am absolutely certain that once a demon has been sealed within human they are permanently bonded, even in death. Unless it is extracted from its original host and subsequently sealed into the body of another, bijus and their respective jinchuurikis will forever remain united as one."

Minako backed away from Gaara in fear.

"So tell me Minako, if that is your real name...why is Shukaku claiming that you are the host of the fabled Kyuubi no Kitsune when there has been no evidence to prove that the demon fox had ever been removed from its original host, Uzumaki Naruto?"

"W-well...that's! Um..."

As she attempted to create more distance between herself and the slowly approaching red-head, one of Minako's hands came into contact with the stone tablet behind her. Immediately following, the object began to glow in beautiful pale pink light.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I-it's not me, I swear!"

Amidst the chaos and confusion, Minako, Gaara and Koki witnessed a most extraordinary sight. As the pale pink light blanketed the entire island and all three of its inhabitants, the bare patch of soil that was located behind the stone tablet began to stir. In a matter of seconds, a small tree sapling began to emerge from the once barren earth. The sapling grew at an astonishing rate until it reached a height of nearly twenty feet. From the top of the newly formed trunk sprouted a complex entanglement of branches which spread out in all directions. Countless Sakura flowers bloomed profusely, covering the entire upper part of the tree in a sea of pinks and whites. A ring of white lotus flowers bloomed around the base of the tree to finish the transformation. The pale pink shine which once covered Aoitama Island faded out of existence.

"Unbelievable…"

Gaara's soft exclamation prompted Minako and Koki to stare at the magnificent sight before them. The light of the full moon made the entire tree appear as if it emitted its own mystical glow.

"Mina! Look!"

Minako followed Koki's gaze towards the stone tablet and nearly jumped back in surprise. The once decrepit and ancient-looking artefact appeared as if it had been restored to new. The material was perfectly smooth and free of any signs of damage. Furthermore, the engravings on the tablet were now complete and fully legible. Minako read each of the four visible characters out loud in a soft tone.

"Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon…why do I feel like I've heard this phrase before?" **(3)**

"It's an old proverb," said Gaara, "The four nouns that you just recited from that tablet represent a prominent visual item from one of the four central domains of the natural world: plant, animal, element, and celestial body. In summary, we as humans are advised to appreciate the beauty of nature which will in turn allow us to reflect and learn more about ourselves."

"Really…?"

While Minako was indeed fascinated by the proverb's profound meaning, she felt as though she had a much deeper and more personal connection with it along with the tablet, the Sakura tree, and even Aoitama Island itself. What that exact connection entailed however was not fully known to her at this time however, she knew that their significance was right on the tip of her tongue.

"So, Naruto…would you mind explaining to me exactly what is going on with both you and your animal companion?"

The charade was up. Naruto had been discovered.

"I initially planned on inquiring about why you've decided to pursue a brand new identity, let alone assume the physical form of a female in front of your team-mates, however after bearing witness to all of this," Gaara nodded his head in the direction of the stone tablet and the Sakura tree, "I can now say with confidence that there is a far more complex reason behind the circumstances surrounding your...situation."

Minako let out a heavy sigh.

"There is…and it will take quite a bit of time to explain."

Minako couldn't help but stare at Koki who spoke on her behalf.

"But you must promise us, Kazakage-sama, that you will retain any information that you hear from this point forward in the strictest confidence – yes even from your very own siblings. Not only will it entail a possible matter of international, and quite possibly global, importance, but it will also help protect Naruto's dignity and personal safety."

Gaara looked back and forth between the white fox pup and Naruto's female form. When he saw that neither party showed any signs of amusement or trickery, Minako in particular looked embarrassed and slightly defeated, the red-head nodded in concurrence.

"You have my word."

"Much obliged, Kazekage-sama. Now, I will allow Naruto to explain his side of the story from when all of this began. I will jump in once my role in his story becomes significant."

"Of course."

After watching Gaara sit down to a comfortable position, Minako hesitantly took her seat on the ground directly in front of him. Koki hopped into Minako's lap and looked up at his master in earnest.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

Minako took a deep breath and snuck one last glance at the beautiful Sakura tree behind her before looking straight ahead into Gaara's pale green eyes.

"Well, this whole mess started about a month and a half ago…"

As Minako began to enlighten Gaara about her predicament, unbeknownst to the trio, an uninvited guest lurked within the darkened waters of the oasis which surrounded Aoitama Island. The individual listened intently on every last word that was muttered above him.

TBC

—†—

**A/N:** I gotta ask…how many of you guessed that Gaara would be the first individual to uncover Naruto's secret? Stay tuned for Chapter 17!

**(1)** Aoitama ("The Blue Jewel") – Just a simple name for a made up oasis in the Sand Village. From my own imagination.

**(2)** If you are still trying to visualize what I had in mind for the Aoitama Oasis (plus island), this particular story element of mine is inspired by the desert oasis in the PS2 video game: Wild Arms 5.

**(3)** Kachou Fuugetsu (lit. "Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon") – A Japanese Proverb. Its intended meaning roughly translates to "Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself." I made Gaara elaborate on this proverb directly in the story but I thought I'd reference it here anyway in case you guys were curious.


	17. Animalistic

Enchantress

Chapter 17 – Animalistic

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is the property of mangaka (comic artist) Masashi Kishimoto. This story implies nothing about the characters nor does the plot of the story have any effect on the manga volumes (or the anime) themselves. This story is pure fiction.

**A/N**: What is this? Two chapters in one month compared to one chapter in two years? I know, right? See? I promised you guys that I would slowly come back to this story. It's the least I could do for my unexplainable hiatus.

**WARNING:** This chapter contains a fight scene and some slight swearing. Some of the content that you will read will be quite violent. You have been warned!

—†—

After talking for what seemed like hours, Minako and Koki looked back at Gaara in apprehension; the red-head seemed to be deep in thought.

"That is…quite the story."

"Look, I know it seems farfetched. Insane even. Heck, I still don't know whether or not I should believe it myself," Minako brushed aside a stray lock of hair which fell across her left eye, "but like you said Gaara, this is a lot more complex that either of us could possibly hope to comprehend. I have been shoved into a hole so large that I don't even know which way is up anymore."

Gaara snuck a glance behind Minako to stare at the Sakura Tree.

"Kazakage-sama, whether or not you choose to believe our plight is your decision," said Koki, "however this is as close to the truth as Naruto and I can get to given the evidence that has been laid out before us. While our explanations may not appear to be entirely realistic, you cannot deny the logic that was used behind them."

"Hmm…you do have a point."

As Gaara was left to digest all that he had heard, Minako spent a few moments idly gazing back at the stone tablet.

_Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon…_

Those same four words continued to playback from within her thoughts. And then suddenly, she had an idea.

"Hmm…I wonder."

Minako walked a few steps around the tablet until she stood right next to the Sakura tree. The honey blonde closed her eyes, raised her right hand up and gently touched the trunk. In a matter seconds, Minako heard youthful voices which echoed from within her mind.

—†—

"_Not that I am insulting your intelligence or anything Michiko-san but what in the world would make you believe that any plant life, let alone a full flowering deciduous tree, could even stand a chance at growing in a place like this?"_

"_Shinnoske's right, Michiko. Such vegetation can only thrive in soil-based environments. Even though Yatahara _**(1)**_ itself is a natural wonder, still, the odds of your tree surviving for even a few days after planting do not look promising."_

"_You boys are so pessimistic. You forget that Yatahara is home to priestesses. All of us are spiritually entwined with the blessings of nature which touch our very village: the waters of the oasis, the golden sands, the desert fauna, the wind, the sky, the sun and the moon. Many Spiritualists, as their name entails, are the links between the terrestrial world and the spirit world, and as such, are capable of accessing the hidden energies which constitute as the very essence of life. As a monk, I would've assumed that this wouldn't have been news to you, Shinnosuke-kun."_

"_W-well…n-no it isn't but…you must understand me Michiko-san that even Spiritualists have their limits with regards to how spirit energy can be manipulated, especially if it involves altering the natural land in any way, shape or form. And like Yamato-kun said, the odds of your tree even germinating in sand are next to nothing. It needs soil."_

"_While I do not refute your justifications Shinnosuke-kun, I am certain that this tree will be able to flourish when the time is right. Trust me; I know what I'm doing."_

"_Well…if only you're sure, then we're here to support you in any way that we can."_

"_Thank you, Yamato-kun."_

—†—

The conversation stopped and the voices faded to oblivion. Minako opened her eyes at the worried tone in Koki's voice.

"Naruto? Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah…," Minako turned around and looked at Gaara straight in the eye. "Hey, Gaara? Was the Aoitama oasis ever referred to by a different name in the past?"

"Well, yes actually. When I was appointed as the 6th Kazekage the village elders took it upon themselves to educate me in the history of our village, albeit at a much more comprehensive version in comparison to our Academy's elementary history lessons. The oasis was christened as 'Aoitama' almost fifty years ago when Sunagakure was first established **(2)**. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that the original name of this particular landmark was called: Yatahara. Apparently this mysterious oasis has been here for centuries and according to legend the water is both inexhaustible impervious to contamination. Such claims actually aren't surprising to me as it looks exactly as it did even ten years ago."

Minako's eyes widened.

"I personally don't know why the oasis was renamed, when others were still aware of its original name, or even how it manages to retain such logic-defying properties. Never truly invested a lot of thought into such questions until now. Is there a particular reason as to why you are interested in this landmark?"

"Well…," Minako gazed at the magnificent tree before her, "When I touched this tree…I began to hear voices. Michiko's, Yamato's and Shinnosuke's to be exact."

"Y-you heard their voices?" exclaimed Koki in excitement. "What did they say?"

"Well…it seemed to be like another memory. However, unlike the first two, which by our accounts have somehow related back to significant events during Michiko's life, this one however seemed to relate specifically to the beginnings of this tree. The conversation wasn't very long and I didn't actually see anything but from what I could interpret, Michiko wanted to plant a Sakura tree in the middle of the desert but her team-mates expressed doubt and uncertainty at her idea. Nevertheless, Michiko said she knew what she was doing…and I think that this may very well be the exact same tree that she was referring to."

"Hmm, it does appear to have a sort of otherworldly quality to it," said Koki as he took his turn to stare at the tree as well.

"Naruto-"

"Sorry Gaara. Not to sound rude or anything but could you please start addressing me by my fake name? That goes for you too Koki." The red-head and the white fox pop looked towards the blonde in confusion, "Sorry. It's just that, it's already taken me this long to get used to being referred to as _Minako_ that adding my real name back into the mix would just complicate things for me even further. Plus, I really don't want anyone else finding out about my little secret. You just never know who might be an uninvited listener."

"Which reminds me…"

In the blink of an eye, a large flowing trail of sand burst from the gigantic gourd that was strapped to Gaara's back. It whirled around in the air for a few moments before whipping off to the side of the island. The sound of man's voice shouting "let go of me" rang through their ears. After being pulled out from his hiding spot, the man was unceremoniously dropped to the ground in front of the trio's feet. Shortly following, the red-head fashioned a mini whirlpool of sand beneath the intruder and submerged his entire lower body, subsequently anchoring him in place from the waist up. Despite the man's protests for release, the trio took note that his entire face (with the exception of his eyes) was covered with dark black cloth.

"An intruder." Gaara stared down at the man beneath him.

"Let me go you pesky brats!"

Without missing a beat, Gaara continued speaking.

"What business do you have with us?"

Gaara's preference of cutting straight to the point while he interrogated others never ceased to amuse the blonde.

"I ain't telling you ANYTHING!"

"Hmph. Stubborn one, aren't you?"

Without moving a muscle, Gaara manipulated the sand around the imprisoned man a second time. With a startled cry, the captured man was now submerged from the shoulders up.

"I will ask you politely once more; what business do you have with us?"

The man spat near Gaara's feet.

"You can torture me all you want Kazekage! But I will NEVER betray my leader!"

Gaara's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Have it your way then."

The man's eyes widened when the formation of small, hand-shaped protrusions began to emerge from the sand. Several of them tightened around the man's neck where as a few others crawled upwards to enclose around his nose and mouth, forcefully depleting him of his air supply. The sounds of his cries were heavily muffled by the sand-made hands.

"I am not particularly fond of eavesdroppers," Gaara got down on one knee and glared down at his ensnared prey, "Now we can either do this like civilized people or," Gaara clenched one of his fists which tightened the hold that his chakra-infused sand had on the man's neck, "the barbaric way. The choice is yours."

As Minako looked upon the sight of the struggling man small sharp pains began to prickle in her head.

"Ahh…!"

"Mina? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Koki's concerned voice was barely registered by the blonde as images continued to flicker in and out of her head. The strange thing was Minako's mental visuals only consisted of Aoitama oasis, the very location that they were in right now.

"Is everything alright?"

Minako took a quick glance at Koki before looking towards Gaara's captive. Before she knew it, her body was moving completely on her own.

"M-mina?"

Minako got down on both of her knees and took her spot right next to Gaara. The red-head looked at his companion in confusion.

"Is there something that you want to ask of this man?"

Minako gazed into the eyes of their prisoner with an apprehensive stare.

"No…not ask."

Before Gaara could ask the blonde to elaborate, Minako raised both her hands and gently touched the tips of her fingers to the sides of the man's head; she closed her eyes shortly after. The images that Minako saw within her mind from before had now become substantially clearer. Instead of rapidly flickering back and forth between multiple images in no logical order, they now began to replay much slower and more "cinematic" pace before changing from one event to the next.

She first saw an image of the sun setting beyond the horizon.

Next was the exterior of the Kazaekage manor, to which the sounds of chatter and laughter were heard from when her team and Gaara's family had dinner earlier that evening.

Third came the image of Minako wandering around the village streets.

The fourth mental image saw Aoitama Island from the main shoreline, to which the faint yellow glow of Minako's hair and matching uniform could be seen reflected by the moonlight.

The fifth mental image involved a muted whisper between the captured man and a second, identically clothed, man from the oasis' shoreline. The faint glow of their matching rings shone bright enough for Minako to read their inscriptions: one read "Flower" and the other read "Bird."

The last mental image saw a suspended stream of sand looming up in the air before whipping downwards and ensnaring the man (who spied silently on the trio from the surface of the water just to the side of the island) in a tight grip.

Minako's eyes widened in shock.

"He isn't working alone!"

Gaara's eyes also widened in surprise. "Where is his accomplice?"

Minako's eyes darted to the spot where she saw the mental image of the two men whispering to each other. She pointed towards the shoreline just a few meters west of the bridge.

"Over there, by that mound of shrubbery!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Gaara dissolved into a mound of sand and streaked through the air in hot pursuit of the other unnamed individual. As Minako and Koki watched the red-head vanish into the night, the ground beneath them began to rumble.

"W-What's happening?"

The trench which previously held the nameless man erupted in a wide splash of sand and dirt. As soon as the debris cleared away, Minako and Koki looked on in shock as their once hapless prisoner was now free of his bind.

"Now…we're all alone," said the man in a most predatory voice.

"H-How did you manage to escape?"

The man let out an amused laugh. "Did the two of you brats really think that you could keep an innate earth manipulator trapped for very long? Sand is but a mere subdivision earth just as much as clay, rock or dirt."

"An innate earth manipulator…" Minako inquired out loud.

"And now with the Kazekage out of the way, there is nothing to top me from taking you to my leader."

Minako's eyes narrowed in defiance.

"Like HELL you are!" Minako pulled out one of the kunai daggers that was strapped around her right leg and assumed a battle stance, "If you want to take me anywhere, you'll have to kill me first!"

The man smirked and tore off his mask. With his natural face fully exposed, Minako observed that the man was definitely older than she was. He was only in possession of a single functioning green eye; the other eye (left) was closed shut and was covered by a long scar which streaked from his eyebrow and across the eyelid before ending at his cheekbone. The man's hair was quite long and was anchored down in a low ponytail. The blonde also noticed that tied around his forehead was a hitai-ate. The metal plate, which showed that he was an Earth Country ninja, had a perfectly horizontal slash etched right across the central width.

_He's a nukenin_…

"My leader wouldn't be too thrilled if I even so much as harmed a single hair on you. But even if he wanted you dead, I wouldn't be able to do the deed. You are much too pretty for me to consider disfigurement."

The eerie hunger that was laced in the man's voice made Minako's blood momentarily run cold before rising to a boil.

"You make me sick…"

"Let's dance, princess…"

—†—

"Koki, stand back. This might get ugly."

"Be careful, Mina!" The white fox pup made his way behind the stone tablet and peaked around the corner in suspense.

Completely by-passing the "princess" comment, Minako let out a loud battle cry as she lunged at her opponent with an angry swipe of her dagger. The man vanished in a flash before rushing back towards the blonde, elbow-first, in an attempt to attack her exposed rib cage. Minako on the other hand anticipated the assault and swiftly blocked it with her arm. She took the opportunity to use the man's inertia against him by quickly grabbing on to his extended elbow with both of her hands and forcefully throwing him over her shoulder, effectively sending him off the island and towards the water. Minako followed up her attack with a soaring jump kick to the man's torso. While her foot was able to connect with her intended target, the opposing earth ninja vanished in a cloud of dust which unfortunately caught Minako off guard.

"Ah!"

"You're mine!"

With the dust particles irritating her eyesight, Minako was unable to predict the heavy slam to her back which caused her to soar in the air for a few meters before plunging into the dark waters of the oasis. Shaking the haze out of her head, Minako swam up to the surface and channelled her chakra towards her hands and feet with the intention of standing directly on top of the water. Minako barely noticed the large flying chunk of earth that was heading towards her but fortunately she was able to duck beneath it just in time to avoid getting crushed. As her opponent continued to manipulate portions of Aoitama Island to use as ammunition for his assaults, Minako's critical thinking skills kicked into high gear while she dodged and evaded.

_I don't know what else this bastard is capable of doing but as long as I keep him cornered on the island, I think I should be okay. If he gets anywhere near the mainland where he could manipulate all of the sand available to his liking, I'll be at a huge disadvantage._

Minako took the opportunity to leap high into the air in order to temporarily change the dimensions of the battle field. As the blonde performed an aerial back flip so that she could make eye contact with her opponent in the ground below, Minako shouted a mental warning to her fox companion.

_KOKI! GET OFF THE ISLAND, NOW!_

As she watched the fox pup vanish in a puff of smoke, which fortunately caused the earth ninja to look behind in confusion, Minako chanted in a confident voice.

"Ninpou: Koyousetsu!" **(3)**

Minako's hands temporary glowed with chakra which emitted a ghostly white light. When upon the immediate spreading of her hands, countless leaf-shaped projectiles, which were coloured in the same ghost-white aura, surrounded the suspended blond before raining down in a mighty storm towards her opponent. While the rogue earth ninja was able to dodge the blonde's attacks for a few moments, his speed was unfortunately no match for the sheer number of projectiles that were aimed at his retreating form. The earth ninja shouted in pain as he was pummelled by the chakra leaves which possessed both cutting and explosive properties. Upon her graceful descent onto the surface of the water below, Minako wasted no time in dashing towards her opponent for a follow up attack. However, the fallen earth ninja anticipated Minako's next move and reacted just before the blonde reached the edge of the island.

"Doton: Doryuheki!" **(4)**

Minako gasped in surprise as the path to her target was suddenly blocked by a large wall of solid rock. The blonde barely had any time to react as the man's fist punched through the earthen object, grabbed Minako by the front of her top, and brutishly pulled her in right through the wall itself. The pain that Minako felt across her entire upper body after she was essentially forced right through nearly a hundred pounds of solid rock made her head spin. The piercing green eye of the defected earth ninja glared back at her in aggravation.

"Must you insist on being stubborn?"

In spite of the pain, Minako smirked, "Damn right…"

Minako quickly raised one of her knees and slammed it into the man's stomach which caused him to release his hold on her uniform. As the earth ninja doubled over, Minako sent a heavy uppercut to his chin and followed it up with a backflip kick which launched him up into the sky. Immediately following, Minako whipped out her golden chakra chain which wrapped around one of the airborne man's ankles. Minako then used the strength of her entire upper body to pull the chain back and subsequently yank the man back down to earth, effectively resulting in the man crash-landing onto the surface of Aoitama Island. Koki came trotting back to his master's side when he saw Minako's victory.

"I witnessed the entire thing from the shoreline. You were great, Mina!"

Minako sent a tired smirk to her animal friend.

"Thanks, buddy."

When the pair slowly approached the unconscious form of the fallen earth ninja, the man surprisingly opened his good eye and glared at the duo in ire.

"You'll pay for that, you bi***!"

The man flipped himself backwards and shoved both of his feet into Minako's stomach, causing her to grunt in pain.

"MINA!"

"SHUT UP YOU DUMB MUTT!"

The man sent a heavy kick to Koki's ribs causing the fox pup to yelp out in pain. From her hunched over position, Minako stared in shock at the scene that she had just witnessed.

"KOKI!"

"TOO SLOW!"

The man rammed his elbow into Minako's stomach which sent her soaring off the side of the island. The man then sped towards the flying blonde, grabbed her by the front of her top (yet again) and dragged her across the surface of the water. The moment that the two of them reached the shoreline, the earth ninja threw Minako down onto the ground and slid his hand upwards to tighten around her neck. The man straddled the blonde's waist as he took out a kunai dagger and made a swift slash along her right bicep.

"AHHH!"

Minako watched in horror as the man raised his dagger, which dripped with her freshly drawn blood, up to his mouth and licked it clean.

"Mmm…sweet. I can see why Reiji-sama adores you so much."

Minako's eyes widened. _Reiji? As in the crime lord, Takatori Reiji?_

"You truly are the spitting image of the Enchantress; his absolute beloved. If only he was out of the picture, then I could have you all to myself."

"GET THE HELL OFF OF ME YOU SICK BASTARD!"

Despite her attempts to break free, the man's weight, when coupled with her fatigue from both the battle and a lack of sleep, proved to work against her favour.

"I'm sure Reiji-sama wouldn't mind if I…snuck a little taste."

The rogue earth ninja licked his dry lips and descended downwards on to his prey. The fear that once clouded Minako's eyes was soon filled with unbridled rage. All she could see was red.

"W-what the Hell?"

Crimson chakra began to envelop the captured blond. The man looked on as the beautiful girl's once soft features began to harden: her sapphire blue eyes changed to a fiery red, her finger nails began to extend and sharpen until they resembled claws, and a single set of three dark lines on each of her cheeks began to emerge until they darkened to a deep black color, thus presenting her with the appearance of whiskers.

"T-this chakra…"

The sheer energy of Minako's demonic chakra repelled the man right off of her as if he were pushed by an invisible barrier. As the blonde began to assume a standing position, the man noticed that all of the girl's cuts and scrapes, including the large one that he had inflicted on her arm only minutes ago began to heal over. It took only seconds for her marred skin to be restored to brand new.

_This girl…Reiji-sama's prediction was right! The Enchantress has indeed been reborn into the body of her only living descendant: that brat to which the Kyuubi no Kitsune had been sealed into by the 4th Hokage nearly 17 years ago._

The man didn't even have time to process his next thought as he was suddenly hoisted up by the collar of his ninja gi by the snarling blonde.

"You injured my companion…so now you just made things personal."

Minako removed her right hand from the man's shirt collar and latched onto his side, just above his left hip. Her claw-like fingernails dug deep into the man's skin which caused him to bleed from the area that each nail had touched.

"Now, I'm going to ask you these questions once and ONLY once so you better pray to God that you give me the right answer."

The man's once confident and cocky persona was slowly replaced by fear.

"Why are you working for Takatori Reiji? And what the hell does he want with me?"

"H-he…he…"

"ANSWER ME!"

With next to zero patience for the man's stuttering, Minako tore out a large chunk of flesh out of the rogue earth ninja's body with the hand that she was using to grip his side.

"AHHH!""

The one-eyed man let out an agonizing howl. The part of his torso located just above his left hip bled profusely as evident from the large concaved portion of his flesh which now showcased his exposed muscle tissue and other internal organs. Minako, while still gripping on to the man's shirt collar with her left hand, forcefully sent the man down to his knees and stared straight into his eyes; her signature red chakra continued to swirl wildly around her body.

"Answer my damn question…unless you want the same thing that happened to your torso to occur on one of your limbs."

The man's sobs of pain prevented him from speaking coherently.

"I'm waiting…"

Minako's cold and demanding voice sent a chill down the man's spine. Despite his attempts to give the blonde what she wanted the lingering pain from the severe wound on his side continued to inhibit his speech skills.

"Reiji-sama…p-p-p…"

Minako rolled her eyes at his incomplete answer. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from her position in front of the man only to reappear behind him. Taking a page out of Sasuke's book, Minako used the man's kneeling position to her advantage by grabbing both of the man's arms and raising them upwards to about shoulder height. In a simultaneous fashion, she raised her left foot and placed it flat on the upper part of the man's back **(5)**. The man let out a grunt of surprise at the lightning-quick position change.

"I will give you one last chance to give me what I want. Otherwise," Minako increased the downward pressure on her foot, "you can say goodbye to your arms. And trust me…I will _know_ when you're lying."

Minako continued with her ministrations by gradually pulling back on the man's arms in conjunction with the pushing motion of her foot. Knowing that there was no other way to get out of this predicament unless he met the blonde's demands, the rogue earth ninja finally caved in. As the rogue earth ninja felt the beginnings of his shoulder joints sliding out of their respective sockets, he mustered what was left of his strength and spoke through the searing pain in his body with fevered shouts.

"Reiji-sama prophesied that the Enchantress would once again walk the earth by being reincarnated into her only living descendant! The rebirth of her soul would only occur if the balance between Earth and Hell shifted into Hell's favour! H-he…He is very well informed about the Legend of the Enchantress and he desires to make you his Queen! He is captivated by your beauty!"

Minako added more pressure to his back.

"How can this son of a bi*** be captivated by my beauty if we haven't even met yet?"

The man let out a whimper of pain.

"H-he has been sending out spies to track and observe you! Capture you, if possible! Your p-physical appearance is virtually identical to all of the illustrations on the Enchantress that have ever been conceived by artists!"

Minako took a few moments to process all that she had heard, "So…he predicted Michiko's rebirth, huh?"

"Y-yes…"

"And all he wants to do is make me his," Minako shuddered at the thought, "his bride?"

The man nodded, "A-at least, that's what I've been told…"

Minako released the man's arms before kicking him in the back, sending him face first in the ground with a dull thud.

"Go back and tell your boss that if he wants me so badly then he will need to man up and come get me for himself. The nerve of him, hiding behind his henchmen like a coward."

The earth ninja struggled to stand up.

"I'll spare your life tonight. However," Minako speed walked towards the fallen man and forcefully yanked off the ring on his left hand, "this will be the spoil of my victory."

The blonde placed the engraved ring, which read "Bird," on her left middle finger.

"Now get out of my sight."

As the man vanished in a cloud of smoke, Minako's once animalistic nature began to calm down. Her eyes reverted back to their original blue hue, her nails shortened back to their normal length, the whisker markings on her cheeks had disappeared, and the Kyuubi's blood red chakra retreated back into her body.

"Koki…"

Minako made her way back to Aoitama Island and knelt down next to the white fox pup who was sprawled out on the ground with closed eyes.

"Come on little guy. Speak to me."

Koki slowly opened his eyes and saw the concerned face of his master.

"Mina…"

Minako slowly picked up the injured fox pup and gently cradled him in her arms.

"Where does it hurt?"

"M-my ribs…"

Minako felt around Koki's rib cage to which the fox pup whimpered when her fingers came into contact with a particularly sensitive spot.

"Nothing feels broken but I can definitely tell that something has been fractured."

Minako channelled some of her chakra into one of her hands.

"Don't move too much. This won't take long."

Minako used her medic-nin skills to heal her animal companion. The warm sensation of his master's chakra was comforting. Within a matter of minutes, the sharp pains which littered the entire right side of Koki's body ebbed away to a dull ache.

"Thank you, Naruto…"

Despite saying her original name, Minako smiled back.

"You're welcome, Koki."

The healing process subsequently caused the fox pup to fall asleep in her arms.

"Minako!"

The blonde turned her head towards the sound of the voice. Gaara was making his way across the surface of the water towards her standing form.

"Did you manage to catch whoever that other individual was?"

Gaara shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. He did however leave this behind."

The red-head opened up his hand and revealed the second ring that she saw in her vision when she peered into the mind of her previous opponent. This was the ring that had the word "Flower" engraved onto the surface. When Minako attempted to retrieve the accessory from her friend's hand, Gaara's eyes were directed to the nearly identical ring that shone from the blonde's left middle finger.

"Did that one belong to our first captive?"

"Yeah," Minako didn't hesitate to put the second ring on her left index finger, "turns out that he was an earth manipulator. Feigning helplessness when you first imprisoned him was just a ruse to get you out of the picture and leave me alone with him. Put up one hell of a fight though. The scumbag intentionally injured Koki in the process."

Gaara snuck a glance at the sleeping fox pup in the blonde's arms.

"Is he going to be alright?"

Minako nodded, "Yeah. He'll be a little sore for the next few days but he'll be just fine."

Gaara did a quick scan of Aoitama Island. While the stone tablet and Sakura Tree remained intact, select sections of the island's land mass were littered with mini craters.

"I set him free. I was seriously tempted to kill him however I managed to squeeze out some very interesting information from him when I had the upper hand."

The news piqued Gaara's curiosity.

"Information?"

"Yeah. You know that highly wanted international crime lord, Takatori Reiji, right?," Gaara nodded in agreement, "Well it turns out that the faceless creep somehow foretold Michiko's reincarnation and that he now wants to make me his wife or something."

"His wife?"

Minako shrugged. "I don't know. I'm guessing the guy has some sick fascination with the Enchantress Legend or something."

"Still though…someone predicted that this would happen to you?"

Minako's previously irritated mood sobered down a little.

"Well at least that's what our first guy told me. And furthermore," Minako gazed down at Koki's peacefully sleeping form, "it also seems as though that my bloodline…could possibly be traced back to Michiko herself."

Gaara's eyes widened in surprise. "How is that possible? Until now, the Enchantress was only ever viewed as a mythological character. And none of the tales ever mentioned that she bore any children."

Minako shook her head in disbelief.

"Apparently the guy said that '_the Enchantress would once again walk the earth by being reincarnated into her only living descendant_.' How else could that be interpreted?"

The pair spent a few moments in silence before Minako spoke up again.

"Things just keep getting weirder and weirder."

"Look, it's incredibly late and your team is to depart for Konoha in a couple of hours. With everything that has happened, the best advice that I can give to you now would be to get some rest and to not dwell on it for some time. Give both your mind and your emotions the chance to recover from the all of this chaos and confusion."

Minako looked back at Gaara with a soft smile.

"You know what? You're right. What I need to do for the next little while is just take a step back from it all and use my downtime to reflect and process all of this…this…whatever you can call it."

Gaara nodded.

"Right. However, please keep me in correspondence with anything new that comes your way about your 'situation.' I will be here as a resource for you and provide you with assistance in any way that I can."

Minako shared yet another smile to Gaara once again.

"Thanks, Gaara. You're a true friend."

"Same to you, Naruto."

—†—

"YOU FOOL! You were supposed to CAPTURE the girl and BRING HER BACK TO ME! Not divulge my plans to her while she threatened to cripple you!"

"F-forgive me Reiji-sama…but the power of the Kyuubi no Kitsune's chakra gave her the upper hand. I almost had her until the demon within her awakened."

"Grrr…And Kamatsu has been killed by the Kazekage so he's of no further use to me."

"I'm sorry, Reiji-sama…"

"On top of that the two of you also managed to lose your sealing rings during your respective battles."

"I-it wasn't my intention, Reiji-sama!"

"Perhaps not…however, my mirror shard showed me that you in fact had other intentions in mind with the girl apart from the specific instructions that I gave to you."

"R-Reiji-sama…?"

"You know full well that the girl is mine and MINE ALONE! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

"Y-yes, R-reiji-sama! I-I will never disobey your orders again!"

"Of course you won't…because that will be both the first and the last time that you will ever this mistake. Takatori Reiji has no use for double-crossers in his circle."

"W-wait! Reiji-sama! P-please! Give me another chance to prove my loyalty to you!"

"Hell has a marvellous place for traitors like you."

"NO!"

TBC

—†—

**A/N:** It's been a while since you readers were given a fight scene with Minako as one of the contenders, eh? I thought this chapter would be a nice change of scenery for you guys as her last battle hasn't taken place since Chapter 2 (HOLY EFF!).

I partially censored some of the swear words in my story because I think stories get flagged by the admins if they have actually written swears in them – like the hardcore ones. I didn't want to risk it. Not with this chapter.

I'll be putting a **minimum 5 review quota** on this chapter before I post Chapter 18. Why? Mainly for feedback purposes. Not only do I want to know if my story is still interesting enough for you readers to keep coming back but I also want to know what your thoughts were on both Minako's long awaited 2nd in-story fight (among other things) as well on the overall quality of the story. Is the pace too slow/too fast/just right? Am I using an interesting/convoluted mix of different story elements? Am I portraying the characters in a favourable light? Let me know! You guys are my evaluators!

See you all next chapter!

**(1)** The fictional name that I gave to Michiko's ancient home village, which shares its namesake with the original name of the oasis.

**(2)** In my story, the Naruto World Capitals are quite young. My justification? I'm assuming that the capitals first became capitals when the very 1st Kage of the respective village was appointed to power, which to me entails the development of the very first form of formal leadership and township governance. And since the actual 1st Kages of any villages were alive only a handful of generations back, I can then assume, based on my logic, that the official ninja capitals are probably not hundreds of years old.

**(3)** _Ninja Art: Fox Leaf Arrowheads:_. The original name of one of Renamon's attacks from the Digimon Franchise. The English dubbed version of the Season 3 Digimon Anime renamed the technique as "Diamond Storm."

**(4)** _Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall:_ This same technique was first used in the Naruto anime by the 3rd Hokage during his battle with Orochimaru.

**(5)** Seem familiar? Yeah, I myself loved this particular scene in Season 1 of the anime during the Chuunin Exams between Sasuke and Zaku. Suspenseful, Dramatic, AND violent!


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